Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis Put on a Show Amid Jayson Tatum’s Struggle – 3 Key Takeaways as Celtics Rout Knicks

The Boston Celtics were sent home packing at the hands of the Indiana Pacers in the league’s first In-season Tournament. After that closely fought battle and a heartbreaking loss, the Celtics quickly bounced back by getting a win right away over the New York Knicks.

The Celtics All-Star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had their fair share of struggles in this game. However, Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis made sure to pick up the pace. Here are three takeaways from the game.

Jayson Tatum can rest easy due to his teammates

The Boston Celtics defeated the New York Knicks with a final score of 133-123. Both team’s star players and starters poured in double-digit numbers in the hopes of pushing their team to victory. Unfortunately for the Knicks, even after locking up Jayson Tatum, the Celtics had enough options on the floor.

Jayson Tatum may have finished the game with 25 points, but it wasn’t without an inefficient night from the floor. Tatum shot 8-18 from the field and was 3-9 from beyond the arc. His 6-8 free throws did help him majorly on the floor.

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Jaylen Brown did not impress either. Brown finished the game with 17 points in the 27 minutes he played. Given the contract extension he got this past summer, one would expect Brown to deliver on a nightly basis.

But the highlights of the game were Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis. Every team banks upon their star player to get them the points. But the Celtics have players who can put up big numbers even when their star players are not able to perform well.

Derrick White led the Celtics with a 30-point performance. He also got a huge boost from the Latvian All-Star as Porzingis finished the night with 21 points.

An absolute defensive effort by the Celtics

The Boston Celtics were one of the many teams that decided to revamp their roster this past offseason. However, out of the many teams, the Celtics have been one of the most successful so far.

With the addition of Jrue Holiday, the tandem of Holiday and Derrick white has been a problem for opposing offenses. The same can be said after Boston’s front office decided to bring on Kristaps Porzingis as well.

The seven-foot Latvian All-Star is a specimen on both offense and defense. He also pairs up well with the veteran Al Horford in the frontcourt, creating a problem on both the offensive and defensive sides.

Knicks unable to find their sweet spot yet

The New York Knicks battled hard up until the final quarter, only to lose by a 10-point margin. Four out of five Knicks starters finished the game with double-digit points. The team also got a huge boost from the guys on the bench as well.

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But that may not be enough for New York if the team is looking to become a dominant force in the East. With the Milwaukee Bucks struggling lately as well, the Knicks have a chance to make a push and become one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

Let’s see how the Knicks decide to go forward this season.