NBA
Celtics Stun Sixers in Opening Day Matchup
The Boston Celtics opened the 2018-2019 season against the Philadelphia 76ers in Boston. Although conference foes and bitter rivals, the Celtics got the best of Philadelphia. The Celtics ran away with a 105-87 victory over the 76ers in a game that featured chippy defense and timely shooting. This game felt and played like a playoff game. Buckets did not come easy, and there was no shortage of animosity between both clubs.
Jayson Tatum looked like he was in mid-season form during our 105-87 victory over the Sixers. pic.twitter.com/mjw8YEPloH
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 17, 2018
Jayson Tatum Shows Leadership
When veterans Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward struggle, Tatum takes things up a notch. Not skipping a beat from his historical playoff run last season, Tatum showed maturity in the opener to lead this team offensively all night. When the Celtics needed a bucket, he got a bucket. Tatum finished with 23 points and 9 rebounds. This is nothing but momentum for the kid, and he will need it for his matchup against Kawhi Leonard on Friday night.
Irving and Hayward Are Rusty
When two players miss significant amount of the previous season due to injury it is no surprise that they will struggle early on. This was the case for both Irving and Hayward. They both shot inefficiently all night, relying on the rest of the team to bail them out. Celtics fans should not worry about these two all-stars slumping in the beginning of the season
Player of the Game: Jayson Tatum
As stated earlier, Tatum showed great poise in the opener for a sophomore. His moves were crisp, and his winks were even crisper. He should have a lot more nights like these throughout the season as he tries to claim a spot on the all-star team.
Honorable Mention: Al Horford
Jayson Tatum shines in the @celtics opening night win with 23 PTS, 9 REB, 3 AST! #CUsRise #KiaTipOff18 pic.twitter.com/FbWCvDGF5p
— NBA (@NBA) October 17, 2018
A Look Forward to the Next Game
The Boston Celtics play the Toronto Raptors in Toronto on Friday, October 19th at 8:00 pm ET on ESPN. This is another potential Eastern Conference Finals matchup and should be as intense as tonight’s game. The matchup to look out for is Jayson Tatum vs. Kawhi Leonard. Leonard only played 9 games last year and was traded this past offseason. All eyes will be on Leonard to perform; however, Tatum will make him work for it.
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Photo credit to Boston Celtics via Twitter
