Everything you need to know about the Celtics’ 105-87 win over the Sixers in the regular season opener:
Box Score
HEADLINES
Tatum, bench carries the day: The Celtics have one of the deepest teams in the NBA this season and that much became clear almost immediately on opening night. Despite getting a combined 26 points out of their three All-Stars, the C’s cruised in the second half to a 105-87 win over the Sixers behind the balanced contributions throughout the rest of their rotation. Jayson Tatum (23 points) did the heavy lifting for the offense while Marcus Morris (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Terry Rozier (11 points, +22) provided huge boosts in the second half to help break open what was a five-point game at halftime. No Celtic player saw the floor for more than 30 minutes while the Sixers were forced to lean heavily on Ben Simmons (42 minutes) and Joel Embiid (36 minutes) in the defeat.
Kyrie Irving struggles in return to floor: While Gordon Hayward had an expectedly up-and-down performance (10 points, 4-of-12 shooting) on the offensive end, it was Irving that really couldn’t find a rhythm from the opening tip in one of his worst performances in a Celtic uniform. The 26-year-old went scoreless in the first half and managed just seven points on 2-of-14 shooting, which earned him a seat on the bench during crunch time as the C’s pulled away in the fourth quarter. He did chip in with seven assists but it was not a banner night for the point guard on either end of the floor.
Defense returns to form: The C’s were a mess during the preseason in this department but a week’s worth of practice and increased effort got them on the same page in a hurry ahead of Tuesday’s opener. The Sixers struggled all night offensively, shooting a paltry 39 percent from the field and 19 percent from 3-point range. Some of those were missed open looks but the C’s did a great job forcing turnovers (16) and keeping the Sixers off the offensive glass (six). Embiid (23 points) and Simmons (19 points) were never able to take over the game and had no reliable supporting pieces stepping up around them thanks to Boston’s lockdown defense.
TURNING POINT
The Sixers hung around for much of the first three quarters before the C’s second unit produced some separation midway through the second half with a 10-1 run to push the lead up to 15. The visitors could get no closer than 11 points the rest of the way as the C’s continued to clamp down on the defensive end, limiting the Sixers to no more than 24 points in all four frames.
TWO UP
Tatum: The 20-year-old did the offensive heavy lifting early for the C’s, scoring nine of the first 11 points of the Celtics on his way to a game-high 13 points in the first half and team-high 23 points on the night. He worked his way into good looks from the midrange all night with mismatches and managed to muscle his way to the rim against an imposing Sixers frontline on multiple occasions. Despite being surrounded by three All-Stars, Tatum was the best offensive player on the floor for Boston.
Al Horford’s defense: The senior citizen on the Celtics looked like the most agile player on the roster early as the 32-year-old was a massive defensive presence in the opening minutes, stuffing three Sixers shots in the first quarter alone and forcing misses on several others. He spent time on both Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, allowing neither to get into a rhythm all night. On the offensive end, he made the most of his opportunities, knock down 4-of-7 shots on his way to an efficient nine-point outing.
TWO DOWN
Kyrie Irving: The All-Star point guard couldn’t fit the bottom of the net in the first half, missing all eight of his field goal attempts early, including five from 3-point range. The majority of the looks were of the wide-open variety but the 26-year-old just could not find his rhythm in his first game in over six months. He finally broke the ice at the nine-minute mark in the third quarter but mustered a paltry seven points on the night with 2-of-14 shooting.
Jaylen Brown: The 22-year-old was known for being a fast starter last season, but Brown really struggled to finish against the Sixers 'length inside. He missed seven of his nine field goal attempts in the first half, including several from point-blank range in the paint. The Sixers tallied a couple blocks but Brown deserves some blame for rushing himself into an opening that just wasn’t there at the rim. He finished with 12 points on the night.
TOP PLAY
Terry finishes the Brown lob on the break! pic.twitter.com/01alDWncZj
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 17, 2018