Sam Hauser talks about the failed chase for NBA records and banner night boos

Not everything chose the Boston Celtics during opening night even though they demolished the New York Knicks, collected their rings, raised Banner 18 and watched Jayson Tatum put up a masterful double-double performance.

Boston, which averaged just 42.5 attempts from 3-point range last season, has taken its three-point style of play to a whole new level. The Celtics made 17 three-pointers in the first half, surpassing their 2023-24 season average of 16.5. That left two frames of basketball left to break the NBA all-time record of 29 – set by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020. Although it seemed promising especially after the Celtics shot 9 of 12 from distance in the third quarter, they stayed still went back and settled for a draw instead.

“The whole crowd shouted, 'One more three!' Sam Hauser said after the game, according to NBC Sports Boston. “They call us names and then we did our best, man. We missed about 15 goals in a row, but we made great shots. Ball was moving, we found the right man, we just couldn't get him going. Sorry, Boston. Man, we got booed 30 (points) on ring night, how about this? It’s crazy.”

To add salt to the microscopic wound in Boston's stunning 132-109 loss, the Celtics missed 13 consecutive 3-pointers in the final 8:50 minutes of the fourth quarter. Hauser, who scored 10 points on 4 of 10 shots from the field in 24 minutes off the bench, contributed with four missed shots in the final frame. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla removed starters Jayson Tatum and Derrick White for the entire fourth period, but the quality of ball movement didn't diminish, Boston simply fell short (a lot).

The Celtics finished 29 of 61 from three (47.5%), hitting 18 more than the Knicks. Boston's 61 attempts tied a franchise record set earlier this month in Abu Dhabi to open the preseason against the Denver Nuggets. It's only fair to assume that Mazzulla's plan for Game 1 was a preview of how the Celtics plan to test their 3-point limit this season.

Meanwhile, the boos, even if they come just hours after a banner was raised, speak volumes about the standard the Celtics must uphold even on their home court.

“It was a very special evening. Just to put the icing on top of everything from last year,” Hauser explained, according to NBC Sports Boston. “Honestly, it was kind of exciting to put the past behind us and think about what awaits us this year, and tonight was the start of that. We had a good first game, but we got 81 more.”

Hauser and the Celtics headed to Thursday night's game against the Washington Wizards, but due to lower back pain, the 26-year-old sharpshooter was listed as questionable to play in the contest, according to a team release.