The NBA is back, and what a night it was to kick off the season! With just two games on the slate Tuesday, a championship banner was raised in Boston, and history was made in Los Angeles. Those moments aside, here’s a recap of Opening Night in the NBA.
Knicks @ Celtics
🏀 Celtics beat Knicks in record fashion
The Boston Celtics celebrated their 18th championship by defeating the New York Knicks 132-109. If you were looking for an angry Jayson Tatum, you found him. Tatum led the charge with 37 points, 10 assists and eight 3s, contributing to Boston’s NBA record-tying 29 three-pointers. Teammates Derrick White and Jaylen Brown added 24 and 23 points, respectively.
Despite trailing by as many as 35 points, the Knicks saw Jalen Brunson score 22 points, while rookie Karl-Anthony Towns managed just 12 points with seven boards in 23 minutes.
🚨 Waiver alert
Miles “Deuce” McBride looked all the parts of a dark horse sixth man of the year candidate. He carried the Knicks in the first half, scoring 14 points (5-for-5, 2-2 3PT, 2-3 FT). He finished with 22 points, four 3s, and two assists in just 25 minutes.
At only 10% rostered, he should be added in all 12 team leagues now that he’s probably getting about 25 minutes a night.
👓 Players to watch
I warned you about drafting Mikal Bridges, and that suspect jumper looks awful. Bridges went scoreless in the first half, shooting 0-for-5 from the field and 0-4 from three. He settled back in after halftime and finished the contest 7-for-13 from the field and 2-for-7 from deep. He recorded a few assists but it was an otherwise mediocre showing on both ends of the mid-round fantasy pick.
It’s only one game so don’t panic about OG Anunoby’s forgettable performance of four points (1-7 FG, 0-4 3PT, 2-2 FT) with five boards, three assists and a steal. Playing a team-high 34 minutes (along with Bridges) is encouraging and as long as he’s healthy, he’ll be one of the better stock players in the league.
Timberwolves @ Lakers
🏀 Lakers win first home game in eight years – make history in the process
In a historic NBA moment, LeBron James and his son Bronny became the first father-son duo to play together, sharing the court for the Lakers in a 110-103 victory over the Timberwolves. Anthony Davis dominated with 36 points, 16 rebounds, four assists and three blocks, while LeBron finished with 16 points, five boards, four assists and two blocks.
Anthony Edwards debuted with 27 points (10-25 FG, 5-13 3PT, 2-3 FT), six rebounds and three assists. Rudy Gobert had 13 points with 14 boards (and got paid), while Julius Randle fell one rebound shy of a double-double, finishing his night with 16 points, nine rebounds and four dimes. Several times during the game, Randle looked disinterested – which tells me it will take time for his style to gel with the Wolves. The Minnesota bench held it down, scoring 36 bench points between Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo and Nikeil Alexander-Walker.
😯 Unexpected Developments
The Lakers committing to play through Davis will do wonders for his fantasy value. He also talked about wanting to be Defensive Player of the Year.
Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht is playing well enough to be in the rotation, but with just 15 minutes in Game 1, he will likely need an injury or a boost in playing time to be fantasy relevant. I’m surprised he’s 34% listed.
Mike Conley played 20 minutes compared to backup point guard Donte DiVincenzo, playing 31. It’s a time split worth monitoring because if Conley’s age catches up with him, DVV could be the preferred option in real life and fantasy.
Rui Hachimura was aggressive and confident offensivelyattacking down and easily reaching their places. He conceded post-game that the Lakers planned to take advantage Julius Randle standing aroundand he did. Hachiumura (53% listed) finished with a rounded 18 points, five boards, one assist, two steals and a block. He is worth adding in all shallow leagues after impressing in 35 minutes.
Closing buzzer
Opening night gave us a taste of what’s to come this NBA season: a barrage of 3s with a mix of heroics, history and standout (and failed) performances. For fantasy managers, the key is not to overreact but to be ready to move players like Deuce McBride. We return to the 10-game slate on Wednesday, so happy hooting!
