Celtics Defeat Sixers, 105-87, to Kick Off 2018-19 Season
The Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 105-87, at TD Garden on Tuesday.
The fact that Boston held the lead for over 40 minutes of this game shows just how dominant they were, as they maintained the lead for the final three quarters. In fact, the Celtics led by at least nine points for the entirety of the fourth quarter. Defense was critical for Boston, as they held Philly to just 39 percent from the field and 19 percent from three-point range while forcing 16 turnovers. Free-throw shooting was also a killer for the Sixers, as they connected on just 14-of-24 from the charity stripe. Three-point shooting was also a decisive stat, with Boston hitting 11-of-37 and Philadelphia connecting on just 5-of-26. Bench production was huge as well, with the Celtics winning that battle, 44-26.
The Sixers (0-1) got a near triple-double out of Ben Simmons, as he collected 19 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists, four steals and two blocks. Joel Embiid was the only other starter in double figures, as he accrued 23 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks. J.J. Redick led the bench with 16 points and two boards.
The Celtics (1-0) were led by Jayson Tatum, as he tallied 23 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Jaylen Brown amassed 12 points, five rebounds and two assists. Kyrie Irving struggled mightily, as he went just 2-of-14 from the field to accrue seven points, four rebounds and seven assists. Marcus Morris was huge off the bench, providing 16 points, 10 boards and two steals.
On deck for Philly is a home matchup versus the Chicago Bulls on Thursday. As for the Celtics, they travel north of the border to play the Toronto Raptors on Friday for their next fixture.
The fact that Boston held the lead for over 40 minutes of this game shows just how dominant they were, as they maintained the lead for the final three quarters. In fact, the Celtics led by at least nine points for the entirety of the fourth quarter. Defense was critical for Boston, as they held Philly to just 39 percent from the field and 19 percent from three-point range while forcing 16 turnovers. Free-throw shooting was also a killer for the Sixers, as they connected on just 14-of-24 from the charity stripe. Three-point shooting was also a decisive stat, with Boston hitting 11-of-37 and Philadelphia connecting on just 5-of-26. Bench production was huge as well, with the Celtics winning that battle, 44-26.
The Sixers (0-1) got a near triple-double out of Ben Simmons, as he collected 19 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists, four steals and two blocks. Joel Embiid was the only other starter in double figures, as he accrued 23 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks. J.J. Redick led the bench with 16 points and two boards.
The Celtics (1-0) were led by Jayson Tatum, as he tallied 23 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Jaylen Brown amassed 12 points, five rebounds and two assists. Kyrie Irving struggled mightily, as he went just 2-of-14 from the field to accrue seven points, four rebounds and seven assists. Marcus Morris was huge off the bench, providing 16 points, 10 boards and two steals.
On deck for Philly is a home matchup versus the Chicago Bulls on Thursday. As for the Celtics, they travel north of the border to play the Toronto Raptors on Friday for their next fixture.
Warriors Defeat Thunder, 108-100, in Season Opener
By Oscar Heanue
The Golden State Warriors defeated the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder, 108-100, at Oracle Arena on Tuesday night.
What would have been a marquee matchup lost some of its muster due to injuries, as former MVP and Oklahoma City star Russell Westbrook missed the game as he continues to rehab from a knee surgery. Still, there was plenty of excitement, as the Thunder were able to come back and take the lead from the defending champions late in the game. After trailing by 10 before halftime, OKC came back in the third quarter and led 69-66. The teams grappled for the lead, but the Warriors were able to seal the game with a dagger floater from Kevin Durant in the final 30 seconds of regulation.
Golden State (1-0) earned the win on its home court after celebrating its third championship banner in the last four years. Two-time MVP Steph Curry led his team with 32 points, also dishing out nine assists and grabbing eight rebounds. Durant finished the game with 27 points and six assists. Klay Thompson had an uncharacteristically poor shooting night, going just 5-of-20 on his field goal attempts.
Oklahoma City (0-1), meanwhile, saw a strong performance from recently re-signed All-Star Paul George. George led his team with 27 points, which came on 9-of-23 shooting. He added four steals on the defensive end. New Zealand-born center Steven Adams helped to anchor the team on both ends, finishing the game with 17 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Ultimately, though, the team could not find the offense necessary to pull out the win; they shot just 36.3 percent from the field.
Both teams will play again on Friday, with the Warriors traveling to Utah and the Thunder paying a visit to the LA Clippers.
What would have been a marquee matchup lost some of its muster due to injuries, as former MVP and Oklahoma City star Russell Westbrook missed the game as he continues to rehab from a knee surgery. Still, there was plenty of excitement, as the Thunder were able to come back and take the lead from the defending champions late in the game. After trailing by 10 before halftime, OKC came back in the third quarter and led 69-66. The teams grappled for the lead, but the Warriors were able to seal the game with a dagger floater from Kevin Durant in the final 30 seconds of regulation.
Golden State (1-0) earned the win on its home court after celebrating its third championship banner in the last four years. Two-time MVP Steph Curry led his team with 32 points, also dishing out nine assists and grabbing eight rebounds. Durant finished the game with 27 points and six assists. Klay Thompson had an uncharacteristically poor shooting night, going just 5-of-20 on his field goal attempts.
Oklahoma City (0-1), meanwhile, saw a strong performance from recently re-signed All-Star Paul George. George led his team with 27 points, which came on 9-of-23 shooting. He added four steals on the defensive end. New Zealand-born center Steven Adams helped to anchor the team on both ends, finishing the game with 17 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Ultimately, though, the team could not find the offense necessary to pull out the win; they shot just 36.3 percent from the field.
Both teams will play again on Friday, with the Warriors traveling to Utah and the Thunder paying a visit to the LA Clippers.