The new look New York Knicks got off to an embarrassing start to their 2024-25 campaign, succumbing to a historic three point barrage by the Boston Celtics in an opening night blowout loss. The Knicks' new addition of Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns didn't perform particularly well throughout the contest, but there was little that any team in NBA history could have done with the way the Celtics were shooting the basketball.

One player who played relatively well for New York was point guard Jalen Brunson, who ascended to star status last year and recently showed some leadership skills in assessing the Knicks' opening night performance, per Adam Zagoria of NYT Sports.

“As a team we did not show up, and it starts with me,” said Brunson.

How can the Knicks bounce back?

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) react with and official against the Boston Celtics in the second half at TD Garden.
David Butler II-Imagn Images

Things won't get much easier for the Knicks moving forward, as up next they take on last season's Eastern Conference runner up in the Indiana Pacers on Friday evening.

Of course, it was the Pacers who sent the Knicks (or what was left of them after a truly shocking amount of injuries) home in last year's semifinals series, winning Game 7 on the Madison Square Garden floor after going down in the series three games to two.

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While injuries were largely the consensus culprit for the Knicks' undoing in that series, the team's brass still showed that they weren't satisfied this offseason by acquiring Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns via trade and then resigning OG Anunoby to a massive contract extension.

The immediate results were not great on Tuesday night against the defending champion Celtics, but it was encouraging to see Bridges appear to switch back to his normal shooting form midway through the game after bizarrely changing it up, allowing him to finish a respectable 7-13 from the field.

Overall, the Knicks' biggest question this year will be their frontcourt depth, as both Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa are currently sidelined due to injury, and Towns doesn't necessarily have a reputation as an elite defensive anchor.

It will be up to the Knicks' talented array of wing defenders to pick up the slack in the meantime and communicate much more effectively than they did on the TD Garden hardwood Tuesday night.

In any case, the Knicks and Pacers are slated to tip off at 7:30 PM ET on Friday evening from Madison Square Garden in New York. The game will be carried by ESPN.