BOSTON - A scandal off the court did not stop the Boston Celtics, who lost to the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals, from continuing where they left off.
In the first game of the new NBA season on Tuesday, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 35 points and the Celtics pulled away in the second half to beat the visiting Philadelphia 76ers 126-117.
The game marked the NBA regular-season debut for Boston’s Joe Mazzulla, who was elevated to interim head coach in September after Ime Udoka was suspended for the campaign for reportedly having an improper relationship with a female employee. Mazzulla’s only other head coaching job was at NCAA Division II Fairmont State from 2017 to 2019.
“It was a proud moment,” the new Boston coach said. “I think at the end of the game, the ‘Let’s go Celtics!’ chant - we picked up right where we left off. When they’re cheering for you, you’re doing something right.”
The Celtics made 46 of 82 field-goal attempts (56.1 per cent), including 12 of 35 attempts from beyond the three-point arc (34.3 per cent).
Boston also received 16 points from Malcolm Brogdon, 15 from Grant Williams and 14 points and seven assists from Marcus Smart. Brogdon was playing his first game with the Celtics after being acquired in an off-season trade with the Indiana Pacers.
Tatum grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds.
James Harden led Philadelphia with 35 points, while Joel Embiid added 26 points and a game-high 15 rebounds - Embiid won the NBA scoring title last season by averaging 30.6 points per game. Tyrese Maxey (21) and Tobias Harris (18) also scored in double figures for the Sixers.
Philadelphia hit 50 per cent from the floor (40 of 80) and 38.2 per cent (13 of 24) from three-point range.
The game was tied 63-63 at half-time. Harden was eight of eight from the free-throw line and scored 22 points in the half. Brown tossed in 18 and Tatum had 16 before the break.
Boston outscored Philadelphia 35-25 in the third quarter and led 98-88 entering the final 12 minutes. The Sixers never got closer than six points in the fourth quarter, and the Celtics extended the gap to 16 before Philadelphia scored the final seven points in the last 1min 44sec.
Overall, the Celtics had a 24-2 advantage in fast-break points. Boston averaged 11.1 fast-break points per game last season.
“We gave them 20-plus points in transition,” Harden said. “That’s the game right there.”
The Celtics wore “City Edition” alternate uniforms as a tribute to Hall of Fame centre Bill Russell, who died in July at age 88. NBA players are honouring Russell’s legacy by wearing a commemorative patch with Russell’s No. 6 on their jerseys this season.
“It was just unique and special,” Brown said of the occasion. “It feels a little bit better knowing who we were playing and who we were playing for.” REUTERS
