A 13-point fourth-quarter lead towards an undermanned Philadelphia 76ers squad wasn’t sufficient to earn the Celtics a win of their season opener.
Boston’s first recreation after its seismic offseason overhaul led to a 117-116 loss at TD Backyard.
Jaylen Brown and Derrick White – the one remaining starters from this workforce’s 61-win predecessor – every scored 25 factors to steer the Celtics. New beginning heart Neemias Queta had 18 factors on 7-of-8 taking pictures and eight blocks earlier than fouling out late within the fourth quarter. Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons mixed for 30 factors, and each had been on the courtroom to shut the sport.
Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe was terrific in his NBA debut (34 factors, seven rebounds, three assists), however he missed two free throws with 8.5 seconds remaining to provide the Celtics a ultimate probability to win it. Pritchard’s would-be buzzer-beater from 13 toes missed the mark.
Tyrese Maxey led all scorers with 40 factors, carrying the Sixers’ massive three whereas Paul George sat out with an damage and the visibly restricted Joel Embiid was held to 4 factors on 1-of-9 taking pictures in 20 minutes.
The Celtics will face the New York Knicks on Friday night time at Madison Sq. Backyard.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla has stated the Celtics’ beginning lineup might change from recreation to recreation this season, however on opening night time, it featured 5 returning gamers: Pritchard, White, Brown, Sam Hauser and Queta. Mazzulla’s first sub was one other holdover: Xavier Tillman, who checked in for Queta after three minutes
An end-of-the-bench participant final season, Tillman set himself up for a bigger function by cleansing up a lingering situation and enhancing his explosiveness this summer season. It didn’t take the veteran massive man lengthy to make an affect. In a single spectacular first-quarter sequence, he locked down Embiid 1-on-1, compelled a turnover after which scored a transition layup on the different finish.
Offseason additions Simons, Josh Minott, Chris Boucher and Luka Garza all noticed motion within the opening 10 minutes, as effectively – a part of Mazzulla’s plan to make use of a deep bench to take care of the excessive stage of power he believes the Celtics should play with this season.
Probably the most energetic newcomer on the courtroom within the first quarter, although, was Edgecombe. The No. 3 total draft decide poured in 14 first-quarter factors, together with three 3-pointers and a thunderous blow-by dunk towards the slower-footed Tillman.
Edgecombe’s backcourt associate, Maxey, scored the primary six factors of the second quarter to place Philadelphia forward 32-28. A Celtics timeout and a fast Hauser three halted that flurry, and Boston responded with an 11-2 run punctuated by Brown’s second trey of the sport.
Hauser and Brown went 3-for-4 from deep within the first half. Their teammates? Simply 2-for-19, together with 1-for-5 from White and 0-for-5 from Pritchard. These perimeter struggles, coupled with one other flurry from Maxey, helped the Sixers construct an eight-point cushion within the second quarter and take a 57-51 lead into halftime. Edgecombe and Maxey offered 38 of these 57 factors for Philly.
As soon as the second half tipped off, momentum shortly shifted again towards Boston. Brown set the tone with a pair of powerful layups, then White took over. The veteran guard hit two 3-pointers in fast succession and blocked a shot that led to a nook three for Hauser. White then drew fouls on his subsequent three field-goal makes an attempt to energy a 16-0 Celtics run. He made extra free throws throughout that rally (7-for-7) than the Celtics made as a workforce earlier than halftime.
Simons additionally chipped in 5 factors and three rebounds throughout Boston’s third-quarter surge. The Celtics performed the late levels of that rally with a lineup of Simons, Pritchard, White, Brown and Tillman – a particularly undersized grouping that gives intriguing offensive potential.
Probably the most achieved new Celtic confirmed up once more within the fourth. After Maxey and Brown traded blows to open the quarter (three threes from the previous, a contested layup and a protracted two from the latter), Simons sprinted down the courtroom off a Maxey miss to throw down a two-handed transition jam that reminded followers why he gained the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest in 2021.
Simons, a three-year starter in Portland now taking part in a bench function for Boston, additionally flexed his much-maligned defensive skill by chasing down Maxey and stopping a transition layup.
The Celtics led 94-84 with 9:18 remaining after Simons’ dunk. The Sixers shortly minimize it to 2, however Boston regained management after efficiently difficult an offensive foul on Brown. Queta, who vaulted from fourth to first on the Celtics’ heart depth chart this offseason, helped his workforce keep a late lead with 4 makes on the rim. However the C’s couldn’t maintain it.
Maxey drew Queta’s sixth and ultimate foul and made each free throws to make it a one-possession recreation with 1:42 to play, and Kelly Oubre’s 3-pointer on the following Sixers possession put Philly forward for good.
Pritchard scored a 3-pointer and a layup within the ultimate 20 seconds, every slicing Boston’s deficit to at least one, however the go-ahead bucket by no means got here.
Different observations…
— The Celtics misplaced one rotation participant shortly earlier than halftime when Garza collided with Adem Bona whereas crashing for a rebound. Mazzulla appeared to yell for Garza to rise up whereas the large man wobbled to his toes, and although he briefly remained within the recreation – and even blocked a Maxey layup – he quickly headed towards the locker room whereas trainers handled bleeding from his face. Garza was positioned in concussion protocol and dominated out for the remainder of the sport.
— Reserve wings Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez had been the lone DNP-CDs on Boston’s roster. Scheierman and Walsh – bit gamers on final season’s workforce – are coming off uneven preseasons. Gonzalez, a 19-year-old rookie who confirmed promise through the exhibition slate, walked to the scorer’s desk late within the third quarter however was known as again to the bench. Two-way rookie level guard Max Shulga additionally dressed however didn’t play.
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