Jared Sullinger re-emerges in Celtics opener
Jared Sullinger went into Wednesday’s opener against the Philadelphia 76ers knowing he would have a good chance to contribute. Fellow reserve Kelly Olynyk was suspended for the start of the regular season following his dustup with Kevin Love last April, pushing Sullinger up the depth chart for at least one night in Boston’s crowded frontcourt.
With starting center Tyler Zeller struggling to defend rookie phenom Jahill Okafor in the opening minutes of the contest, Sullinger got his opportunity early. The 23-year-old was the first sub off the bench for Brad Stevens and immediately made the most of his minutes.
Sullinger used his bulk to limit Okafor in the paint, while Stevens wisely began to throw double teams at the former Duke star. After scoring 10 points in the first six minutes of the game, Okafor was limited to two for the remainder of the half, helping the Celtics turn a nine-point first quarter deficit into an 11-point lead by halftime.
“[I tried] to bump him and gas him out early,’’ Sullinger said of his gameplan on defending Okafor. “Met him at the free throw line, couldn’t let him get deep position. Some of the shots he was hitting it was just like, ‘Man,’ it was his night. I knew for a fact that those shots weren’t going to beat us and just made it as tough as possible.’’
Okafor had a team-high 26 points in Boston’s 112-95 season-opening win over the Sixers, but he also turned the ball over eight times and failed to take over the game, thanks to Sullinger’s defensive effort. The standout play earned him a start in the second half over Zeller.
The fourth-year forward also chipped in with more than his defense. Isaiah Thomas did the offensive heavy lifting for Boston (game-high 27 points), but Sullinger added 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting and tied a team-high with seven rebounds in just 21 minutes of action. The stellar all-around performance earned him plenty of praise on Twitter.
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Sullinger remained adamant after the game that his confidence remained high despite his preseason woes.
“It’s preseason,’’ Sullinger said of the turnaround in his play over the past few weeks. “I could really care less [about my numbers in preseason]. You gotta do your job. So that doesn’t stop me from doing what I do. On the court, by myself. I’m in there late at night, getting my shots up, working on my shot, and obviously it paid off.’’
Olynyk will be back in uniform for Friday’s game against the Raptors, but Sullinger’s re-emergence will make rotation decisions for Stevens just a bit tougher in the days to come.
Photos: Meet the 2015-16 Boston Celtics
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