Will Celtics start title defense with win? Here’s what history says originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics open up the 2024-25 NBA season and their title defense Tuesday night when they host the rival New York Knicks at TD Garden.
The C’s will raise their 2024 NBA championship banner to the rafters and get their rings before playing a Knicks team that many experts rank as the second-best in the Eastern Conference after acquiring Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns in offseason trades.
If history is any indication, there’s a good chance the Celtics will beat the Knicks and start their championship defense on the right foot.
The Celtics have won five consecutive season openers as the defending champ, with the last loss coming in October of 1974. The last time the C’s were the defending champs on Opening Night they beat LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers 90-85 on Oct. 28, 2008.
Overall, the Celtics are 15-2 on Opening Night after a championship season. Here are the results of the last five such occasions.
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1976-77 Celtics: Defeated Indiana Pacers 129-122 (OT)
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1981-82 Celtics: Defeated Washington Bullets (now Wizards) 124-100
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1984-85 Celtics: Defeated Detroit Pistons 130-123
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1986-87 Celtics: Defeated Washington Bullets (now Wizards) 120-102
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2008-09 Celtics: Defeated Cleveland Cavaliers 90-85
None of the Celtics teams listed above went on to repeat as champions that season. In fact, the C’s haven’t repeated as champions since Bill Russell’s two seasons as player/coach in 1967-68 and 1968-69.
Overall, defending champs are 19-5 on Opening Night this century. The last two defending champs to lose their season opener were the 2017-18 Warriors and the 2020-21 Lakers.
The Celtics are 48-30 in their history on Opening Night, including nine consecutive wins at home, per NBC Sports Boston statistician Dick Lipe.
CELTICS ON OPENING NIGHT
Overall: 48-30
At Home: 35-13
At Home, Since 2007: 9-0
Vs. New York: 5-6 (3-2 at home)This is the first time Celtics have opened at home vs. the Knicks since 2005
4 of the Celtics’ 6 opening night OT games have been against the Knicks
— Dick Lipe (@DickLipe) October 22, 2024
The Celtics went 4-1 against the Knicks last season, including a 108-104 victory on Opening Night at Madison Square Garden.
They’ll try to build on their recent success versus the Knicks on Tuesday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
