It’s a historic night for the NBA’s two most storied franchises as the 2024-25 season tips off
Lakers 110, Timberwolves 103
On a rough shooting night for both teams, the Los Angeles Lakers held on for a 110-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves Tuesday in the season opener for both teams.
The Lakers secured the win in JJ Redick’s debut as head coach.
The game also marked the debut for Bronny James, who took the floor with LeBron James for the first time as the father-son duo checked in together late in the second quarter. Bronny played three scoreless minutes as the Lakers ensured that the anticipated debut wouldn’t linger past the first game of the season.
While the James family made headlines, Anthony Davis was the star on the court in a 36-point, 16-rebound performance to lead the Lakers effort. By the end of the night, Davis was hearing MVP chants from the home Lakers crowd.
The Timberwolves struggled to find scoring in their first game since trading away Karl-Anthony Towns. Anthony Edwards led the way for Minnesota with 27 points, six rebounds and three assists. Julius Randle scored 16 in his Timberwolves debut.
Celtics 132, Knicks 109
There’s no championship hangover in Boston.
The Celtics hung their 18th banner and tried on their new rings in a pregame ceremony Tuesday night. They then proceeded to trounce the New York Knicks, picking up where they left off in June with a 132-109 win to open the new NBA season, tying a 3-point record in the process.
Jayson Tatum started the game with a 3-pointer in the game’s opening 10 seconds. It was a sign of things to come as Boston torched the Knicks with a 29-of-61 effort from 3-point distance, tying an NBA record for 3s made in a single game. The Milwaukee Bucks previously set the record with 29 3-pointers in a 144-97 romp over the Miami Heat in 2020.
Tatum, who spent the bulk of his summer in Paris on the bench as a little-used Olympian, led the way and again showed his chops as the centerpiece of a championship team. He finished the game with 37 points, 10 assists, and four rebounds while shooting 14 of 18 from the field and 8 of 11 from 3.