BOSTON — The defending champion Boston Celtics picked up the place they left off, tipping off their preseason with a 107-103 win over the Denver Nuggets in Abu Dhabi on Friday. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each performed prolonged minutes within the first half, whereas Payton Prichard placed on a present from deep within the second half.
Pritchard led all Celtics scorers with 21 factors to go along with six assists. Tatum scored a dozen factors whereas Brown put in eight, as each Boston stars noticed 19 minutes of motion.
Nikola Jokic was his regular self for the Nuggets and completed with 14 factors and eight rebounds.
Neither group’s starters performed after halftime, however Boston’s reserves had been in a position to erase a double-digit deficit within the second half and trialed by only one heading into the ultimate body.
It was members of the Maine Celtics that led Boston to a victory in a back-and-forth fourth quarter. Drew Peterson hit back-to-back threes to place the Celtics on high 101-94 with 2:12 to play. JD Davidson had a stretch the place he blocked a shot on protection and located Dmytro Skapintsev with a pleasant lob on the opposite finish. He made 4 free throws over the ultimate 7.2 seconds to ice the Boston victory.
The 2 groups will play once more at Etihad Enviornment on Sunday, although it is unclear if any starters will play in that recreation. Listed here are a number of takeaways from Boston’s exhibition opener on Friday.
Jayson Tatum’s shot regarded higher
Tatum’s hunch from the perimeter throughout the playoffs and the Olympics was a scorching subject over the summer season. His deep shot regarded a lot better on Friday.
Whereas Tatum appeared extra involved in establishing his teammates than taking his personal photographs, logging 5 assists throughout his time on the ground, he ended up hitting three of his seven makes an attempt from downtown. The shot regarded fairly easy and a bit faster than what noticed from Tatum final summer season.
Jaylen Brown made a poster in Abu Dhabi
Brown was 3-for-9 from the ground and simply 1-for-5 from deep. However he had the loudest bucket of the sport, including poster from Abu Dhabi to his ever-growing assortment.
Payton Pritchard was a strolling bucket
Pritchard was 6-for-12 from downtown, trying only one shot from contained in the arc. Whereas he did not hit any ridiculously deep threes, he did add one from fairly deep. (Although it was pretty pedestrian for Pritchard’s requirements.)
Pritchard additionally pushed the tempo for Boston within the second half and performed a team-high 24 minutes. The fifth-year guard is primed for an enormous season off the Boston bench.
The Celtics took a variety of threes
Within the lengthy historical past of the franchise, the Celtics have by no means tried 60 three-pointers in a daily season or playoff recreation. They took 61 photographs from downtown on Friday. Mazzullaball was at a complete new degree in Abu Dhabi.
Final season, the Celtics averaged an NBA-high 42.5 threes per recreation. We might see that quantity climb throughout the 2024-25 season.
Luke Kornet began for Al Horford
Al Horford bought the time without work, with Luke Kornet taking his spot within the beginning lineup alongside Tatum, Brown, Derrick White, and Jrue Vacation. He put in a strong 21 minutes of labor, grabbing a team-high 11 rebounds to go along with six factors. Kornet is predicted to begin whereas Kristaps Porzingis continues his restoration from offseason surgical procedure.
Xavier Tillman was additionally fairly good in his function off the bench, canning a few threes whereas flattening two rebounds, blocking a shot, and arising with a pair of steals.
Jordan Walsh is a ball of power
Walsh was in all places in his 25 minutes on the ground, and had a loud putback jam within the second half. He completed with 9 factors off 3-for-7 taking pictures, with six of these photographs coming from downtown. (He hit two from deep.) Walsh additionally had 4 rebounds and 4 assists.