Celtics 74, Knicks 55

Celtics shooting: 27 of 49 (55.1%)
Knicks shooting: 22 of 38 (57.9%)

Celtics 3-point shooting: 17 of 32 (53.1%)
Knicks 3-point shooting: 4 of 14 (28.6%)

Jayson Tatum: 25 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds; 9 of 12 from the field, 6 of 9 from 3
Jaylen Brown (12 points), Derrick White (11) Jrue Holiday (10) all in double figures

Jalen Brunson: 15 points, 2 assists; 6 of 7 from the field, 1 of 2 from 3
Karl-Anthony Towns: 12 points, 5 rebounds
Mikal Bridges: 0 points, 0 rebounds, 2 assists; 0 for 5 from the field, 0 for 4 from 3

The Celtics have been on fire from inside and out with no signs of a championship hangover midway through their season opener. They lead the Knicks, 74-55 at halftime after receiving their championship rings in a pregame ceremony.

The Celtics are doing it on both ends of the floor. Here's Jaylen Brown picking Jalen Brunson's pocket for an easy dunk on the other end.

A Knicks reserve is doing his best to keep New York in this. Miles McBride is 6 for 6 from the field to lead New York with 14 points. But Boston leads, 54-35 midway through the second quarter.

Jalen Brunson has 6 points and has made all three of his field goal attempts, but hasn't scored since early in the first quarter. Miles Bridges is 0 for 5 from the field including 0 for 4 from 3-point distance so far in his Knicks debut. Karl-Anthony Towns has 6 points and 4 rebounds.

Here's a look at all 10 made 3s by the Celtics in the first quarter.

There was some concern about Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum's jump shot over the summer. He shot 28.3% from 3-point range in the playoffs. He missed every jumper he took at the Olympics and sat for two of Team USA's six games in Paris, leading many observers to believe his shot had something to do with it.

Asked about his errant jumper at media day, Tatum conceded that he had made some slight adjustments to his mechanics, though he explained that these kinds of minor tweaks are common practice for him.

“Been working with my trainer a lot recently in the last few weeks,” he said last month. “A few mechanical things — pick-up points, hand placement, getting lower, keeping my shoulders forward and things like that. ... There were some things I could have fixed, but in the midst of the playoffs, trying to manage your rest, it’s a little tougher. I was still playing well. I just wasn’t shooting the ball as well as I would have liked. And, obviously, we were winning, so it wasn’t the time or the place to try to fix things in that moment.”

If we learned anything in the opening minutes of Boston's first game, it was that Tatum's shot is far from broken (if it ever was). He attempted six 3s in the opening quarter and made four of them, staking the Celtics to a 43-24 lead in the opening frame. This after he shot 41.4% from distance in the preseason.

After taking a 21-16 lead into the second timeout of the game, the Celtics have taken over. Boston ran off a 22-8 run to close the first quarter and enter the second with a 43-24 lead. They're 16 of 27 from the field and 10 of 17 from 3.

They've picked up right where they left off from last season's championship run with a first-quarter gut punch to a Knicks team playing with a revamped lineup.

The new-look Knicks have countered with a strong start of their own. They're 8 of 13 from the field early including six points from Jalen Brunson, who's hit all three of his shots from the field. Karl-Anthony Towns in on the board with his first bucket as a Knick.

There's no ring ceremony hangover in Boston. The Celtics are off to a hot start with a 21-16 lead at the 4:51 mark of the first quarter. They're 8 of 17 from the field including a 4-of-9 pace from 3. Looks a lot like last season so far.

Jayson Tatum opens the game with a 3-pointer, and the new NBA season is underway.

And here's Boston's 18th championship banner:

Here's the much anticipated new-look Knicks starting lineup:

Jalen Brunson
Josh Hart
OG Anunoby
Mikal Bridges
Karl-Anthony Towns

Jayson Tatum kept his comments brief when given the mic to address fans during the ring ceremony.

"This is special, Tatum said. ... "I can honestly say to the best fans in the world. Let's do it again."

The business of raising the banner — and then basketball — was at hand.

Jaylen Brown is the reigning Finals MVP, but Jayson Tatum got the final call to the floor to receive his ring after Brown.

Specs on Boston's rings that include lots of jewels and some hidden treasures:

The rings have been revealed, and they — of course — are spectacular.

The Celtics are on the floor at TD Garden to raise their 18th championship banner and receive their rings. Past Celtics champions including Bob Cousy, Cedric Maxwell, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are joining them on the floor to celebrate.

Happy opening day, NBA fans! We're tipping off the season tonight with the New York Knicks visiting the reigning champion Boston Celtics. The starting lineup for the Celtics is in:

Jrue Holiday
Derrick White
Jaylen Brown
Jayson Tatum
Al Horford