The Boston Celtics kick off their championship defense against the New York Knicks on Tuesday night.
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It's finally here.
On Tuesday night, the Boston Celtics return to the hardwood to begin their journey to defend their NBA title.
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The C's have their sights set on a repeat, but first they get to soak in the historic moment of watching Banner 18 get lifted to the rafters. It is sure to be an emotional night for the Celtics and their fans.
The last time Celtics raised a banner was in 2008 -- 16 years ago -- so people have had to be patient for a long time here.
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The Celtics are set to face the New York Knicks and they will also be getting their championship rings before 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
The last team to go back-to-back was the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018.
Get in your seats early if you're going to game, as there's going to be a big presentation pregame when the banner goes up and the rings are handed out.
The Celtics are returning all of their key players from the championship season, although big man Kristaps Porzingis won't be back from surgery until December.
But head coach Joe Mazzulla said he's not concerned about the pressure to repeat.
"Zero. No pressure," he said Monday. "We're all going to be dead soon, and it really doesn't matter anymore. So there's zero pressure. You're either going to win or not... It's not pressure, it's an opportunity."
The Celtics are hands down the favorites to win it all. The Knicks, who are in town Tuesday night, have the third best odds in the Eastern Conference.
But TD Garden isn't the only spot to get a taste of all of the Celtics celebrations underway on Tuesday. You can actually be a part even if your not in the arena.
A fun-filled fan event is planned for City Hall Plaza, and hundreds are expected. The "NBA on TNT American Express Roadshow" starts at 4:30 p.m., with games, contests, giveaways and performances from stars Shaboozey and Benson Boone.
But during game time, all eyes will turn to video boards displaying live coverage of when the team raises that historic 18th championship banner to the rafters of the Garden, and of course the game itself.
The Benson Boone performance will actually be taking place after the game, so you can expect traffic in the area to be a problem all day. Everything is expected to end around 1 a.m.
