There is no championship cat in Boston.

The Celtics hung their 18th banner and tried on their new rings in a pregame ceremony Tuesday night. They then defeated the New York Knicks, picking up where they left off in June with a 132-109 victory and opening the new NBA season. In doing so, they set the three-point record in a single game.

Jayson Tatum started the game with a 3-pointer in the first 10 seconds of the game.

It was a sign of things to come when Boston torched the Knicks with 29-of-61 shooting from 3-point range, tying the NBA record for 3-pointers made in a single game. The Milwaukee Bucks set the record back in 2020 with 29 3-pointers in a 144-97 win against the Miami Heat.

The Celtics appeared to keep the record for themselves when Al Horford tied the game with Boston’s 29th three-pointer with nearly nine minutes to play.

But Boston pulled its starters in the final period and the Celtics missed their last 13 attempts from distance.

Tatum is coming off a disappointing Olympics

Tatum, who spent most of his summer in Paris on the U.S. team’s bench as a little-used Olympian, led the way and once again showed his ability as the centerpiece of a championship team. He finished the game with 37 points, 10 assists and four rebounds while making 14 of 18 from the field and 8 of 11 from 3.

It wasn’t a one-man show. Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Al Horford took turns in the 3-point barrage as Boston’s balanced star lineup was at its best.

Brown finished with 23 points by shooting 5 of 9 from 3. White scored 24 points by shooting 6 of 10 from distance. Holiday shot 4 of 6 from 3 en route to 18 points. Horford added 11 points and shot 3 of 5 from 3.

On the other hand, Jalen Brunson did his best for the Knicks, leading a new-look starting lineup with 22 points and two assists. It wasn’t nearly enough as the game was out of control at the end of the first quarter and the Celtics led 43-24. Boston hit ten 3-pointers in the first quarter to set the tone.

Karl-Anthony Towns added 12 points and seven rebounds in his Knicks debut. Mikal Bridges struggled early in his first game since being traded from the Brooklyn Nets. He went scoreless at halftime but finished with 16 points and two assists while shooting 7 of 13 from the field and 2 of 7 from 3.