Tatum's 36 sink Knicks 107-103; Amen Thompson block seals Rockets' win over Spurs
Jayson Tatum scored 36 as Boston dropped defending champions New York to 0-2, while Houston beat San Antonio 114-110 in Austin when Amen Thompson blocked Victor Wembanyama in the final second.
At a glance
- Jayson Tatum scored 36 points with 9 rebounds and 7 assists as the Boston Celtics beat the New York Knicks 107-103 at TD Garden on Friday, October 23, 2026.
- The Knicks are the first defending NBA champions to start 0-2 since the 2011-12 Dallas Mavericks.
- In Austin, the Houston Rockets beat the San Antonio Spurs 114-110 after Amen Thompson blocked Victor Wembanyama's tying layup in the final second.
- Alperen Sengun led Houston with 29 points; Wembanyama had 25 points and 13 rebounds for the Spurs.
- Houston are 2-0 for the first time since the 2017-18 season; Boston improve to 1-1.
Jayson Tatum scored 36 points as the Boston Celtics beat the New York Knicks 107-103 at TD Garden on Friday, October 23, 2026, leaving the defending NBA champions 0-2. In the other game of the night, the Houston Rockets edged the San Antonio Spurs 114-110 in Austin, Texas, when Amen Thompson blocked Victor Wembanyama's tying layup attempt in the final second.
Friday's results
| Game | Score | Top scorers |
|---|---|---|
| Knicks at Celtics (Boston) | Celtics 107, Knicks 103 | Tatum 36 pts, 9 reb, 7 ast; Paul George 15; Neemias Queta 15 |
| Rockets vs Spurs (Austin) | Rockets 114, Spurs 110 | Sengun 29 pts, 7 reb, 7 ast; Wembanyama 25 pts, 13 reb |
Celtics 107, Knicks 103: Tatum closes it out
Tatum made 14 of 26 shots and added nine rebounds, seven assists and three steals, scoring 25 of his 36 points after half-time. Boston led by as many as 12 in the second half, and a three-point play by Neemias Queta put them 11 up with 8:01 to go.
New York answered with a 16-5 run to cut the gap to one point with under two minutes left. Tatum then took over: a fadeaway jumper put Boston three up with 1:24 left, a corner three made it five with 49 seconds left, and a pull-up three with 35 seconds remaining made it 103-100. Knicks centre Mitchell Robinson had a spell of four points, a block and an alley-oop, but it was not enough.
| Quarter | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knicks | 27 | 22 | 24 | 30 | 103 |
| Celtics | 26 | 24 | 33 | 24 | 107 |
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said he would bet on Tatum producing "something similar to that most nights." It was a sharp turnaround for Tatum, who scored 13 points on 6-of-23 shooting in Boston's opening loss at Detroit.
For the Knicks, the slow start is unusual for a champion: they are the first defending title-holders to open 0-2 since the 2011-12 Dallas Mavericks. Mikal Bridges was scoreless and is 2-for-16 over two games. Coach Mike Brown said Bridges is "getting the looks that he needs" and just has to make them.
Rockets 114, Spurs 110: Thompson stops Wembanyama
The Texas rivals traded the lead 14 times, with 11 ties, at the Moody Center in Austin. Alperen Sengun scored 14 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter. Amen Thompson added 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Kevin Durant scored 20 in a homecoming game in the city where he played college basketball.
With Houston clinging to a narrow lead, Wembanyama drove for a tying layup, but Thompson rose to block it in the final second. Fred VanVleet then made two free throws. A late Spurs three-pointer that would have tied the game did not count because coach Mitch Johnson had called a timeout with five seconds left, before the ball was released.
Wembanyama finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds, De'Aaron Fox had 19 points and nine assists, and Dylan Harper scored 20 for San Antonio.
| Quarter | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockets | 32 | 29 | 24 | 29 | 114 |
| Spurs | 27 | 32 | 22 | 29 | 110 |
Background
The Knicks lost their season opener to the Philadelphia 76ers on the night they raised their championship banner. Houston opened with a win and are now 2-0 for the first time since 2017-18, while the Spurs, one of the West's rising teams, fell in a game they had chances to tie.
Why it matters
Two games is a small sample in an 82-game season, but the Knicks' poor start will draw attention to Bridges' form and their bench. For Boston, Tatum's clutch shooting was a reminder of why the Celtics expect to compete at the top of the East. In the West, the Rockets–Spurs rivalry looks set to be one of the season's best, with the teams meeting again on October 27 in San Antonio.
What happens next
- Knicks: host the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, October 25.
- Rockets vs Spurs: rematch on Tuesday, October 27, in San Antonio.
- NBA games tip off overnight Pakistan time; most results are final by mid-morning PKT.
Questions people are asking
Who won Celtics vs Knicks on October 23, 2026?
The Boston Celtics beat the New York Knicks 107-103 at TD Garden. Jayson Tatum scored 36 points, including three late baskets that held off a Knicks comeback.
Who won Rockets vs Spurs in Austin?
The Houston Rockets beat the San Antonio Spurs 114-110 at the Moody Center in Austin on October 23, 2026. Amen Thompson blocked Victor Wembanyama's tying layup in the final second, and Alperen Sengun scored 29.
Why are the Knicks 0-2?
The Knicks lost their opener to the Philadelphia 76ers after their championship banner ceremony and then lost 107-103 in Boston. Mikal Bridges has struggled, going 2-for-16 from the field over the two games.
