4 takeaways from the Celtics’ season-opening victory against the 76ers
"I think what’s unique about our team is our best player didn’t hit any shots tonight, but we still won by 20."
COMMENTARY
The NBA is back.
The Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers kicked things off with the league’s season-opening game Tuesday night at TD Garden. In a highly anticipated matchup — featuring the returns of All-Stars Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving, as well as the starting debut of the Sixers guard Markelle Fultz — Boston got the better of its Eastern Conference foe, defeating Philadelphia handily 105-87.
“I thought both teams played hard,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said after notching his first win of the season. “We’re a long way from being really good, but if we play hard, then we have a chance to get there.”
Here’s what we learned from Game 1 of 82:
The difference in depth between the two teams was apparent.
Not one Celtic logged more than 30 minutes of playing time, and nine players were on the floor for at least 19 minutes. The Sixers, on the other hand, demanded 30-plus minutes from three of their starters and relied on a much smaller rotation to carry them through four quarters of basketball.
“Our depth was a big factor in the game,” Stevens said. “Whenever things started to go awry and we put new fresh guys in, they all made plays.”
Philadelphia was without two key contributors from its playoff run last season, as shooting guard Marco Belinelli and forward Ersan Ilyasova — two shooters who each could provide 25 minutes off the bench — both signed elsewhere. The team was also without their potential replacements, as forward Wilson Chandler (hamstring) and center Mike Muscala (ankle) were sidelined with injuries.
The Celtics, however, picked up right where they left off in May, and the Marcus Morris-named “Bench With Attitude” didn’t skip a beat in capitalizing on their time on the court. Morris notched a double-double, while point guard Terry Rozier tallied 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting.
“We felt all of the Celtics tonight,” 76ers coach Brett Brown said.
The Celtics can still pull off a win without Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving leading the way.
Much of the night was focused on the re-integration of Hayward and Irving, but the pair struggled to find their shots, finishing a combined 6 of 26 from the field. Hayward scored 10 points, while Irving managed just seven.
“I mean, Kyrie’s never going to have a game like that, probably,” Stevens said. “Everybody’s been talking about Gordon being gone for twelve months, but Kyrie’s been out for six. I had no intention of really restricting him minutes-wise, but it’s probably not all bad to play 29 in that first one and get your feet underneath you and get ready to go from here.”
Despite his lack of production, Irving said it felt like the Celtics had control of the game from the tip. He attributed his atypical performance to nerves from being so “hyped up” to play and anticipates he’ll get his rhythm back as the season goes on. Though his points were sparing, not all was lacking: He dished out seven assists.
“When you can’t make a damn shot, spread the wealth,” Irving said.
Stevens echoed Irving’s sentiment, once again emphasizing the importance and effectiveness of the team’s depth.
“When one guy doesn’t have it going, the rest of the team has to pick them up,” he said. “Everybody has to play with great effort because the guy behind him is champing at the bit to get in.”
As for what the Celtics could look like when everybody gets it going?
“We might get to 200 points,” Rozier said.
Jayson Tatum’s potential keeps getting higher.
The Celtics weren’t just spewing platitudes when they said they didn’t want to put a ceiling on their 2018 draft pick Jayson Tatum.
Tatum proved Tuesday night his ceiling is truly boundless. Scoring a team-high 23 points, he put 76ers forward Robert Covington on skates, took advantage of his matchup against center Joel Embid, and shot 53 percent from the floor. Tatum had said he expected to be more relaxed for his second season opener, and it showed. The 20-year-old looked confident both driving to the basket as well as picking his spots to pull up for a jump shot.
“It ain’t right.” https://t.co/ilTzcYjyOn
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 17, 2018
“We need him to be great,” Stevens said.
Embiid, who worked out with Tatum during the offseason, acknowledged his opponent’s promising future.
“He’s a special one. He’s going to be great for years. The Celtics are lucky to have him. … I was with him all summer. We played a lot of one-on-one, and I was kicking his ass. I love him. I love his game. I’m excited to play against him for a long time.”
The love for Boston sports teams runs deep.
As word about Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr.’s eighth-inning grand slam in Game 3 of the ALCS spread, a fervent “JBJ” chant began at the Garden. The center-court video board later showed the highlight, which was met with a roaring applause.
Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, who trained at the Celtics’ practice facility during his four-game suspension, was also in attendance — seated courtside beside co-owner Wyc Grousbeck and his wife, Emilia Fazzalar.
Julian Edelman sits courtside.
