Opening Night Game Thread: Knicks vs Celtics, October 25, 2023

The curtain is up, the red carpet is unfurled, and my RJ Barrett jersey is tighter than I remember it being. . . . The New York Knicks’ 78th season begins tonight at Madison Square Garden versus the Boston Celtics!

We’ve already seen more than enough of the Celtics over the past weeks, with New York splitting two preseason games against the gangrenous gang. Thanks to the offseason additions of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, the Celtics are a heavy favorite to win the Finals despite my efforts with voodoo dolls.

Over four exhibition games this October, the Knicks suffered from a lack of shooting, which wasn’t new, and a worrying case of half-assed-ness, which was. Tonight we’ll see if they were just playing it cool while ramping up to meaningful games.

Game time is 7:00 p.m. EST on ESPN. This is your game thread. This is CelticsBlog. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Be kind to one another, but don’t get too handsy. And go Knickerbockers!