Game Preview: Knicks at Celtics, October 23, 2026

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 14: Mitchell Robinson #4 of the Boston Celtics is introduced before the game against the Charlotte Hornets on October 14, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Remember the good old days of just caring about diamond rings, roughly 70 square feet of fabric and the feelings of Ariel Hukporti? Yeah, me neither. It’s what a loss against the Philadelphia 76ers on Banner Night at Madison Square Garden can do to you. It functions as a stark reminder that the new NBA season is upon us and the Knicks somehow have to find a way to let the past be the past and kick some serious you-know-what in the present. On Friday night in Boston, though, it will once again be hard to keep the nostalgia at bay. Even if Mitchell Robinson is not wearing the orange and blue anymore.

The former longest-tenured Knick has moved on to (not so) greener pastures and now starts for one of New York’s biggest rivals a good 200 miles up north. There’s probably no Knicks fan out there who won’t have some weird feeling in their stomach seeing the “Blockness Monster” in a uniform we’ve all been brought up to hate. And if I had to guess, I’d bet that Mr. Robinson puts in quite an effort on the glass tonight. Maybe Mitch even offers a glimpse of an expanded “bag,” as people like to call it these days. He’ll want to show his former team what they’re missing without him and prove to the Land of the Leprechauns that the $48 million they left for him at the end of the free agency rainbow wasn’t fool’s gold.

In Boston’s season opener, Mitch did not make a great impression on the C’s fanbase. Outside of Paul George, though, few players in green and white did. The Celtics lost at Detroit despite leading by 22 four minutes into the third quarter and by 10 with eight minutes left in the fourth. Somehow, someway, that sounds familiar, doesn’t it? And the Boston Celtics haven’t really changed that much from that incredibly entertaining playoff series they played with your beloved Bockers 17 months ago. Their personnel certainly changed, but in terms of their style of play, it’s still bombs away in Beantown.

Boston’s barrage of threes can overwhelm an opponent, just as it did against the Pistons for roughly three quarters on Tuesday, when the Celtics attempted 42 shots from downtown. Their shooting creates a lot of space to operate, puts a lot of stress on the opposing defense and can turn any game in an instant. That cuts both ways, though, because the Celtics really don’t care if they are up by 20 or down by 20. They just keep shooting, and sometimes they shoot themselves in the foot. They certainly did at Detroit, where they let a shell-shocked Pistons team right back into the game with quick shots, nonexistent floor balance and bad transition defense.

Celtics TV: "What else is in the bag? Are they asking you to expand?"

Mitchell Robinson: "Yeah…they have me kind of far away from the basket, I'm like 'OK maybe I can show a little something here & there,' so that's what we've been working on––touches, shots, all kind of stuff" pic.twitter.com/SGfrSUsBZ2

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) September 28, 2026

The latter part of that contest was especially ugly for Boston, as they allowed 39 points in the final quarter. Their lone remaining superstar, Jayson Tatum, had an awful shooting performance and could not steady his teammates. He missed 17 of his 23 shots and did not provide the much-needed dimension his isolation scoring usually gives Boston from the top of the key. After Jaylen Brown was traded to Philadelphia, the Celtics really do not have that many guys who are comfortable creating their own shot. If Tatum isn’t performing at the All-NBA level he reached before his gruesome Achilles injury, it could become a problem all season long.

The one big bright spot for Boston was the play of Paul George, who looked like he wanted to turn back the clock to his old Pacer days. His 38 points were the most ever scored by a Celtic in his debut, and he only needed 21 shots to do it. Not many Bostonians were especially excited to subscribe to the Podcast P experience, but this performance eased at least a few of their worries. Joe Mazzulla’s shot-happy system should suit George quite a bit, and maybe he surprises a lot of people with a solid year.

Besides their two big-name wings, Boston will look to Derrick White and Payton Pritchard to provide most of the scoring. White struggled from the floor in Boston’s first-round playoff loss last season, shooting 32.1 percent, while Pritchard remains one of the elite bench energizers in the entire league. The rest of the Celtics’ rotation includes their three centers, Mitch, Luka Garza and Neemias Queta; a bevy of scrappy younger guys like Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh; and elite marksman Sam Hauser. Rookie big Chris Cenac, Mike Conley (yes, he’s still around) and Ron Harper Jr. did not see any action versus Detroit.

Not exactly the scariest bunch on paper, right? Make no mistake, Boston has made a habit of getting consistent results from Mazzulla’s system. They run a professional organization, have a system that more often than not works like a well-oiled machine and have a clear plan for beating their opponent. Tatum is one of the best players in the NBA and surely wants to remind Boston fans that he was the right All-Star wing to build around. So expect a big effort out of him, Mitch and the rest of the Celtics.

For New York, defending the arc and finishing possessions on the glass will be essential, especially with Mitch hunting second chances. Boston’s collapse in Detroit also showed why the Knicks should look to push after misses and take advantage before the Celtics can set their defense. Whatever they throw at New York on Friday won’t surprise our veteran-laden Knickerbockers. But walking into Boston for its home opener and handing the Celtics a second consecutive loss will still be a tall order.

Of course, that’s exactly what we hope to remember from this game. So let’s go Knicks!

Who: New York Knicks (0-1) at Boston Celtics (0-1)
Date: Friday, October 23, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Place: TD Garden, Boston, MA
TV: Prime Video
Follow: @ptknicksblog (X) and @postingandtoasting (BlueSky)

Devin Carter will miss the game for the Celtics with mononucleosis. As of this writing, nothing of note for the Knicks.