Jayson Tatum’s newly-tweaked jump shot paid dividends in the Celtics’ 2024-25 NBA season opener against the New York Knicks, perfectly summing up a record-tying night in Boston.

Shortly after receiving their championship rings, Tatum and the Celtics had a mission to prove to the Knicks and the rest of the NBA that last season’s title was not a fluke but rather an indicator of things to come for the franchise and the league as a whole. And against the Knicks, the Celtics showed how deadly they were, knocking down an NBA-tying 29 3-pointers.

Also, Tatum showed off his recently adjusted jump shot, which he told reporters before the start of the season was something he reworked. In late September, Tatum addressed what exactly he had to adjust with his shot, especially after his rough playoff showing in the 2024 playoffs – when he shot 28.3 percent from 3-point land – and the Olympics.

“Watched a lot of film. Been working with my trainer Drew [Hanlen] a lot recently, the last few weeks,” Tatum said at the time. “A few mechanical things: Pickup points, hand placement, getting lower, keeping my shoulders forward, things like that.”

Along with explaining how intricate he and Hanlen went in terms of his mechanics, Tatum also explained the difficulty he had with attempting to change his shot during the playoffs. “But just in the midst of the playoffs, trying to manage your rest and things like that, it’s a little bit tougher,” he continued.

“I was still playing well, just not shooting the ball as well as I would’ve liked. And obviously we were winning so it wasn’t the time or the place to try and fix things in that moment.” And in the first half against the Knicks, Tatum’s reworked jumper proved to be the difference maker.

Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics shoots a three point basket during the game against the New York Knicks on October 22, 2024 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts

Jayson Tatum looks confident in his new jump shot after admitting there was a hitch in his old jump shot ( 

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Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

In 18 minutes, Tatum had 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field, including 6 of 9 from 3-point land, to go along with six assists, three rebounds and one steal. Because of how efficient Tatum was from beyond the arc, that allowed the champion to get in the lane to score easy baskets.

Once the dust had settled, Tatum had 37 points on 14-of-18 shooting from the field, shooting 8 of 11 from beyond the arc. He added 10 assists, four rebounds, one steal and one block in an all-around performance, not just showing his ability to nail the shot after his tweaks.

Appearing more comfortable with his shot, Tatum’s success proved just how much progress he made with Hanlen during the offseason. After Boston’s record-tying night, Tatum spoke to Allie LaForce about the win and the Celtics’ almost comical attempt to break the record.

“I’m really proud of the way we played tonight was emotional,” he said. “This is a celebration of what we accomplished last year. Tonight was special, then to kind of have to reset and go try to win a basketball game against a really good team on opening night. The way that we just came out and responded, played the right way. I’m proud of us.”

Speaking on the Celtics’ attempts to nail the final 3-pointer in the final eight minutes of the game, Tatum stated: “I’m surprised we missed every 3 for the last eight minutes. We’re gonna be upset about that.”

For the Celtics, Tuesday night provided a glimpse of how successful Boston could be if all the pieces all in place. New York, meanwhile, will look to rebound after the 23-point loss that was more lopsided than the final score indicated.