The Boston Celtics defeated the New York Knicks on Tuesday by a score of 123-110 as the Knicks dropped their second exhibition game to fall to 1-2 in the preseason.
The Knicks rested most of their starters
New York sat several key players in this one, as Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Josh Hart all did not play for rest purposes.
Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis torched the Knicks’ backups, as they combined for 48 points and nine three-pointers en route to a double-digit victory that was virtually over after the first quarter.
The Celtics were lights-out from deep
Boston outscored New York 41-30 in the first quarter and were hyper-efficient from beyond the arc throughout the course of the game, as they shot 39.6% from downtown.
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Despite the poor outcome, there were some positive takeaways from this game. Quentin Grimes displayed his marksman shooting skills with a 22-point performance in which he shot 7-12 from outside the arc.
The centers for New York put in another strong showing, as Jericho Sims grabbed 10 rebounds and recorded three blocks while Mitchell Robinson cashed in 12 points and added seven rebounds and three steals to his tally. Isaiah Hartenstein also added 13 points of his own and knocked down a three-pointer, showing his ability to space the floor.
Miles McBride and Donte DiVincenzo got the starting nods in the backcourt, and they provided 16 points and 15 points, respectively, but both struggled with efficiency. McBride shot 6-18 from the floor and DiVincenzo shot 3-12 from the floor while committing six turnovers.
Isiah Roby turned in an efficient night off the bench, as he scored 11 points on 4-6 shooting (3-4 from three) in just 16 minutes of action.
Evan Fournier struggled to make an impact
Evan Fournier’s chances to crack a spot on the regular season rotation took a massive hit, as he struggled in Tuesday’s game. Though the veteran guard scored in double figures for the third consecutive game, he had a -19 plus-minus rating in 22 minutes of action as he shot just 3-10 from the floor, good enough for 10 points.
The Knicks have one more preseason game to play before they play regular-season basketball. Their fourth and final preseason game is tomorrow night against the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden for a rare preseason back-to-back, which will tip-off at 7:30 p.m. EST.
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