Celtics 76ers opening night recap



The Celtics fall to 0-1 after a last-second 117-116 defeat from the 76ers. The Celtics were in control of the game throughout but dropped the ball in crunch time. 

To open the game, the starting lineup was what we saw for most of the preseason. Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, and Neemias Queta. There were a lot of questions as to who would be the starter between Hauser and Simons, and to open the season, Mazzulla went with Hauser.

We saw a lot of new things from the Celtics offense, starting with the center position. Neemias Queta quickly established himself as the team's starting center, putting up 17 points and 8 rebounds on 7/8 shooting. The offense was much better at getting easy buckets in the paint, scoring 48 for the game with a ton of dribble handoffs, pick and rolls, and lobs that generated easy baskets. 

Jaylen Brown looked excellent in his lead role, scoring 25 points on 50% shooting, but most importantly, he played smart and patiently. There was never a rushed possession, which allowed the offense to run smoothly. Anfernee Simons made his Celtics debut, scoring 13 points on 50% shooting with 2 made threes. Simons also played patiently, waiting for his opportunity while adjusting to a new team.

For the game, the Celtics scored 116 points on 45/26 splits, made 23 free throws, had 16 assists to just 11 turnovers, and 10 offensive rebounds. The three-point shooting was not up to par but overall was reminiscent of what we have seen from the Celtics offense the past few seasons. 

Defensively, however, it was a rough showing. For the game, the Celtics allowed 117 points on 46/39 splits, allowed 10 offensive rebounds and 23 assists. Joel Embiid was returning from injury, and it was apparent, scoring just 4 points on 1/9 shooting. Despite this, 1st-round rookie V.J. Edgecombe scored 34 points in his NBA debut, alongside Tyrese Maxey, who scored 40 points. 

The Celtics lack of perimeter defense against the 76ers backcourt cost them this game. With Derrick White being the team's only great perimeter defender, it was always going to be a challenge defensively, but this was a complete disaster. The biggest example of this was the 4th quarter, when they allowed 42 points on 59/70 splits. 

On the final sequence of the game, there was a miscommunication. The play was quickly called into question when Payton Pritchard took the final two shots. He later addressed the media, stating that "I probably made the wrong read, Anfernee and Sam were open on the backside, so just a pass I gotta make."

                             Conclusion 

The Celtics did play a solid game with some good individual performances. The offense played up previous years' expectations with some new players and an adjusted playstyle, but the defense left a lot of room for improvement. It is only game 1, so there will be plenty of time to correct the mistakes made on Wednesday. 

The Celtics will travel to New York to face the 1-0 Knicks in an early-season rematch from the 2025 playoffs. The big question now is, how will the Celtics respond after a disappointing start against the team that ended their previous season? 

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