The Boston Celtics began their title defense last week, and boy was it electric. Ring night was a huge success, and the team seems to have picked up right where they left off. Everyone was firing on all cylinders, sending the message to the rest of the league that they have no intention of giving up their title as champions without a fight.
Celtics Crush the Knicks on Opening Night
Final Score: Celtics 132-Knicks 109
The Celtics opened up the 2024 NBA season last Tuesday, October 22nd, against the New York Knicks. In what was supposed to be a great matchup between two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, Boston made it known that they are the team to beat this season. Overwhelming New York both offensively and defensively, the Celtics dominated a very good Knicks team throughout the entire game.
The Celtics started off hot, and did not let off the gas pedal all game long. With Jayson Tatum leading the way, the Celtics got themselves an early lead, and never looked back.
The biggest note of the game was the three-point shooting. Highlighted by Tatum's 8 threes, Boston made 29 three-pointers, which is a franchise record and one off the NBA record.
Boston capped off the night perfectly, starting the tear with a decisive win. Tatum led the way with 37 points and 10 assists, while Derrick white also lit it up (24 points on 6/10 shooting from three). Jaylen Brown (23 points and 7 rebounds) and Jrue Holiday (18 points on 78% shooting) also impacted the team in a big way.
Boston Keeps Things Rolling in Washington
Final Score: Celtics 122-Washington 102
Boston's high-powered offense showed out again in their first road game of the season against the Washington Wizards last Thursday, October 24th. Though the Wizards are predicted by many to be one of the worst teams in the league, Boston was able to take control of the game early, and grow on their lead as the game went on.
The team chemistry showed out against Washington; the ball movement was on full display. Jaylen Brown led the way with 27 points, followed by Jayson Tatum's 25 points and 11 rebounds. Derrick White is also showing early why he can be an all-star level player, scoring 19 points on 4/7 shooting from three.
The Celtics also got some major help from their bench against the Wizards. After a quiet game against New York, Payton Prichard shined, scoring 15 points (shooting 5/10 from three) in 27 minutes. Stepping up in Sam Houser's absence (back injury) big men Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman Sr., and Neemias Queta, also chipped in, providing some great defense off the bench.
This was an easy win for the Celtics, as it should have been. Boston did what they needed to do in this game; they got out to an early lead, kept the lead, and then were able to rest the starters for most of the 4th quarter. Though maybe not the most competitive, it'll be important for Boston to have games like these if they want to stay healthy throughout the season.
Boston Escapes a Close One in Detriot
Final Score: Celtics 124-Pistons 118
This game was an absolute nail-biter. Though coming out with the win, Boston struggled to gain any sort of significant lead. It was an unexpected test for the Celtics, but they were able to scrape out a gritty win against the Pistons.
Jayson Tatum (37 points) led the way offensively once again, building his MVP case early on. His reworked shooting form seems to have done wonders, as he is shooting 48.6% from three in his first three games. Jaylen Brown (24 points on 6/24 from the field), though inefficient offensively, made a big impact defensively. With three key steals and great perimeter defense, Brown made his mark on the game despite his poor shooting efficiency. Other than his three-point shooting, Derrick White (17 points and 3 blocks) had another strong all-around game, coming up with a bunch of huge defensive plays. Al Horford had his biggest game of the season as well, scoring 17 points on 5/8 shooting from three.
The biggest problem for Boston was their defense. Their laziness at times on the defensive end allowed Detroit to stay in the game. Boston got outrebounded (44 to 37) and shot worse from the field in this game (42.2% as opposed to Detroit's 48.9%). Boston needs to clean things up defensively, as allowing their opponents to shoot efficiently has become a trend in the past three games.
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Catch you next time!
-Matt Hylen
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