Celtics 107, Knicks 103. Bridges' zero is only part of the problem.

Zero points will draw the eye. Mikal Bridges missed all eight of his shots Friday, including five threes, as Boston beat New York 107-103 at TD Garden. It was an expensive empty night in a four-point game. It was not the whole explanation for the Knicks falling to 0-2.

New York committed 16 turnovers to Boston's 10. The Knicks collected seven more rebounds and made one more three, yet the Celtics attempted 87 field goals to New York's 80. Those extra opportunities cannot be assigned to one statistic alone, but they make the broader point: winning part of the possession battle is not enough when the ball is also being given away.

Jayson Tatum supplied Boston's best answer at the other end. He scored 36 points on 14-for-26 shooting, adding nine rebounds, seven assists and three steals. The Celtics improved to 1-1. New York had several substantial individual contributions and still could not match the total.

McBride kept the shooting line afloat

Miles McBride scored 20 points and made six of his eight three-point attempts. The rest of the Knicks combined to go 10-for-32 from beyond the arc. McBride's work helped New York finish at 40 percent from three, better than Boston's 38.5 percent. A good team percentage can obscure how heavily one player carried it.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 points and 10 rebounds, making nine of 13 shots. OG Anunoby contributed 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Josh Hart collected 12 rebounds to go with 10 points and five assists. The Knicks did not lose for lack of work on the glass: their final rebounding advantage was 44-37.

Jalen Brunson finished with 19 points on 7-for-17 shooting and made three of six free throws. New York missed six free throws overall, going 15-for-21. Boston went 12-for-16. The Knicks actually scored three more points at the line, just as they scored three more from three-point range. Boston's five additional two-point baskets supplied the ten-point difference that outweighed both advantages.

A team problem, not a one-player verdict

Bridges' shooting is a legitimate concern from this game. Turning it into the sole verdict would let too much else escape scrutiny. Towns committed four turnovers, Brunson and Anunoby three apiece. The final box score asks questions about possession quality and shared responsibility, not just whether one more Bridges shot might have fallen.

Two games are enough to identify what needs attention, not enough to declare the season's direction settled. The Knicks have to protect the ball more consistently and get more reliable offense around their strongest stretches. McBride gave them a real chance Friday. Boston, led by Tatum, did more with the opportunities it had.