POST GAME PHILLY - AWAY

Celtics Wrap: Kyrie Irving, Al Horford Lead Boston To 102-92 Win Over 76ers

NESN by Joshua Schrock on Fri, Oct 20, 2017 at 9:28PM

Step away from the panic button, Boston Celtics fans. The C’s have had a rough start to the 2017-18 season with the injury to Gordon Hayward and the 0-2 start. But Boston started to come together Friday night, as Kyrie Irving and Al Horford carried Boston to a 102-92 win over the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center.

Boston’s two veterans combined for 14 fourth-quarter points, as Boston was able to hold off the scrappy 76ers in a sloppy, turnover-filled game. Irving led Boston with 21 points, while Horford (17 points, nine rebounds), Terry Rozier (14 points, seven rebounds), Jayson Tatum (15 points) and Shane Larkin (10 points) each scored in double digits. J.J. Redick led the 76ers with 19 points. Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid both added 11.

The Celtics improved to 1-2 with the win, while the 76ers fell to 0-2. Here’s how it all went down.

STARTING FIVE PG: Kyrie Irving SG: Jaylen Brown SF: Jayson Tatum PF: Al Horford C: Aron Baynes

SHORTHANDED The Celtics already were without Hayward after he dislocated his ankle and fractured his tibia during the season opener on Tuesday. Boston’s wing depth was further depleted Friday, as Marcus Smart missed the game with two sprained ankles.

DUELING DRAFT PICKS Boston famously traded the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft to the 76ers in exchange for the No. 3 overall pick and future protected first-round pick. The 76ers drafted Markelle Fultz, while the C’s took Tatum. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said the player the C’s took at No. 3 is the same player they would have taken at No. 1. And there was a perfect metaphor for that exchange during the first quarter, as Tatum stuffed Fultz from behind when the guard attempted to drive past him and finish at the rim.

Tatum paced the Celtics in the first quarter with six points, while Irving and Horford each added five, as the C’s led 24-21 after the first frame. Redick led the 76ers with six points in the quarter. Both teams struggled from the floor in the first, as Boston shot 37.5 percent and Philly only hit 33.3 percent of its looks.

SLOPPY FIRST HALF Boston allowed the 76ers to hang around in the first half, and eventually, take a halftime lead by turning the ball over 13 times, and shooting an abysmal 41.7 percent from the free throw line. Boston held a slim lead halfway through the second quarter, but the 76ers went on an 8-0 run capped by a Redick 3-point shot to tie the game at 37. Philadelphia finished the half on a 13-9 run, as Boston turned the ball over four times in the final 1:31. Irving led Boston with 12 points at the half, while Brown added nine. Redick paced the 76ers with 12.

CELTICS FINISH STRONG Boston trailed by three entering the fourth quarter, as both teams failed to establish a rhythm in the third quarter. Both squads got it going in the fourth, though, as they traded the leads for the first half of the final frame. Then the Celtics took over at the 5:37 mark. Tatum took Fultz off the bounce and hit a bank shot to give Boston a four-point lead. Two possessions later, Irving knocked down a jumper of his own to swell the lead to six. Then, after a Redick missed jump shot, Irving found Shane Larkin for a wide open 3-pointer that grew the lead to seven and that was the ballgame.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME Simmons is really good.

UP NEXT The Celtics will be back in action Tuesday when they take on the New York Knicks at TD Garden. The game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
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Larkin provides fourth-quarter spark, Celtics beat Sixers, 102-92

NBC SPORTSBOSTON By A. Sherrod Blakely October 20, 2017 9:29 PM


PHILADELPHIA – Despite playing its second straight game without a key rotation player, the Boston Celtics did just enough to get their first win of the season, 102-92, over Philadelphia.

Boston (1-2) was led by Kyrie Irving’s game-high 21 points, but it was Shane Larkin's floor game down the stretch that truly catapulted Boston to its first win of the season.

Larkin, who was seeing action in large part because Marcus Smart was out with a left ankle injury, provided a huge spark in the fourth before finishing with 10 points and four assists.

He drained a 3-pointer that tied the game at 75-all, which was part of an 18-9 Celtics run.

The Sixers (0-2) were led by J.J. Redick and Jerryd Bayless who had 19 and 18 points, respectively. Joel Embiid got off to a slow start, but finished with a double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Boston played with a lead for most of the first half, but Philadelphia took over with a 7-0 run to end the second quarter and had the Celtics playing catch-up for all of the third and some of the fourth quarter.

Boston was once again short-handed, with Marcus Smart out with a left ankle injury. He replaced Gordon Hayward, whose left ankle injury in the first quarter of Boston’s loss to Cleveland on Tuesday, is expected to keep him sidelined for the rest of the season.

But with players out, that opens up opportunities for others to step up.

Larkin, who walked away from a contract overseas that would have paid about $5 million more than he’s making with the Celtics, was one of those players.

Aron Baynes, who got the start with Smart out, had 10 points and eight rebounds. Boston also got another strong game off the bench from Terry Rozier who had 14 points and seven rebounds.
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Celtics 101, Sixers 92: This is clearly a work in progress
WEEI Rob Bradford
October 20, 2017 - 10:16 pm

Here are two things you probably didn't think you would see when turning your attention to the Celtics' game in Philadelphia Friday night: Director M. Night Shyamalan and actor Samuel L. Jackson devouring french fries next to the Boston bench, and someone by the name of "Bird" playing basketball in green for 14 minutes.

It was that kind of unpredictable evening. And there probably will be more of them in the coming weeks.

After the Celtics' 101-92 win over the upstart Sixers, Al Horford told NBC Sports Boston his team was "on edge" heading into the tilt without a win and no Marcus Smart (ankles). And you think that anxiety went away when Brad Stevens sent out a group including of Daniel Theis, Jabari Bird, Abel Nader and Shane Larkin, and no Kyrie Irving? Not until it became clear that Stevens' button-pushing was spot-on again. (For a complete recap, click here.)

"We had a lot of guys step up ... We needed everybody," Stevens told reporters. "This is a great win." The Celtics coach then added, "This was a really, really hard win. This is a good one to build off of."

The Celtics' mixing and matching would ultimately lead to what is supposed to be this team's fail-safe, Irving taking over at the end. It was the Celtics' go-to guy that sealed the deal in the fourth quarter, finishing with a game-high 20 points.

But, whistle-laden four quarters (complete with a flurry of missed free throws), this one should be identified as the ultimate test track for this Celtics team. Stevens had a hunch Bird, a rookie and former teammate of Jaylen Brown at the University of California, was among the best on the team at guarding the perimeter. So, with J.J. Reddick torching the C's for much of the night, the guard got some run. And he did OK, finishing with a plus-11.

There were others who got their first chance at leaving some sort of an impression.

Guerschon Yabusele came in to bang with Joel Embiid (who looked awkard for much of the night, going 4-for-16 from the floor), and finished at a plus-4 in his four minutes. Twenty-five-year-old rookie Daniel Theis hauled in three rebounds while blocking a shot in 11 minutes. And Larkin looked like a downright gift, helping finish things off with a 4-for-5 performance from the floor (2-for-3 from beyond the arc), with a plus-16 in 20 minutes.

Each showed the potential to actually help going forward, which might have been somewhat of a mystery prior to the trip to Philly.

But perhaps the player who is changing the conversation the most through three games is Rozier.

Not only did the guard get a good chunk of the minutes left behind by Smart, but he has actually emerged as a legitimate offensive option. Few would have been counting on that pre-Gordon Hayward injury. Rozier followed up a nine-point night in Cleveland, and 15 points in the home opener with 14 this time around. His continued aggressiveness made it possible to survive an off shooting night from one of the players who will undoubtedly be relied on for buckets, Jaylen Brown, who went just 4-for-13 from the field while missing all three of his free throws.

And then there was THE rookie.

What the Celtics discovered with Jayson Tatum is that he is what they thought he was. Thirty-three minutes. Fourteen points. Seven rebounds. And an individual win over the player picked two spots in front of him, Markelle Fultz, who wasn't much of a factor in his 17 minutes, netting just six points on 2-for-9 shooting.

There was no better example of this team being a work in progress. But, this time around, at least there was progress. And, for now, that's exactly what Stevens and Co. will have to settle for.
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Irving, Horford lead Celtics past 76ers for 1st win

ESPNBOSTON 9:55 PM ET


PHILADELPHIA -- Kyrie Irving scored 21 points, Al Horford had 15 and the Boston Celtics won for the first time since losing Gordon Hayward, 102-92 over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.

The Celtics lost their first two games after Hayward went down in the opener with a mangled ankle that may cost him the season. Horford and Irving took over down the stretch to quiet a raucous 76ers' crowd in the home opener.
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Jayson Tatum scored 15 points and had Terry Rozier III had 14 to keep the Celtics afloat with a makeshift lineup. Boston snapped a tie game with an 11-4 run late in the fourth that steadied a franchise still reeling from Hayward's injury.

Joel Embiid knows the feeling of missing an entire season. The Sixers center missed his first two NBA seasons with foot injuries and was limited to 31 games last year. Healthy and ready to play, Embiid had one of his worst games as a pro, with 11 points on 4-for-11 shooting. He missed all six 3s in 28 minutes. J.J. Redick led the Sixers with 19 points.

Moments after he checked in late in the third, Embiid drove past Horford for his first basket of the game and a 65-56 lead. Embiid missed his first eight shots -- he spent more time exhorting the fans to chant "Trust the Process," -- before he gave the fans a real reason to cheer.

Already playing short-handed, the Celtics wasted points with a 15-of-25 effort from the line through the third quarter. Aaron Baynes slipped in for a tip-in at the horn when Embiid failed to box out that cut Philly's lead to 72-69.

Years of some of the worst basketball in NBA history have at last yielded a Game 7 enthusiasm for the Sixers. The Wells Fargo Center was sold out and fans tailgated in the parking lot hours before tipoff, giving it a Philadelphia Eagles feel. A few Eagles even showed up to ring the ceremonial Liberty Bell during pregame intros and fans whipped their giveaway T-shirts into makeshift rally towels as the arena rocked much like it did in the Allen Iverson era.

"This is gonna be fun tonight, but on behalf of the whole organization, my teammates and myself, we just want to thank you for all the support," Embiid told the crowd. "I mean, it's gonna be a great season, so trust the process!"

Embiid, still looking to get his legs after seven months of inactivity, lumbered in an 0 for 5 first half. The 2017 No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz -- with a hitch in his free-throw shooting -- earned a rousing ovation simply for making shots from the line. Redick kept the Sixers in the game with three 3s that offered a brief glimpse why the Sixers gave him a $23 million contract.

Embiid's final shot of the half was a wild airball that was snared by Dario Saric and put back for the bucket and a 50-46 lead at halftime.

TIP-INS

Celtics: Coach Brad Stevens said Hayward was released from the hospital. Hayward suffered a broken left tibia and dislocated ankle on opening night in Cleveland. ... G Marcus Smart sat out with an ankle injury. Baynes got the start.

76ers: Embiid said he has not been cleared to play back-to-back games and does not expect to be in the lineup Saturday at Toronto. "I just want to feel like an NBA player," Embiid said. "I feel like I'm not an NBA player because I can't play back-to-back."

A LIST

Actor Samuel L. Jackson and director M. Night Shyamalan were at the game. Rapper Meek Mill also was at the game.

UP NEXT

Celtics: Are off until Tuesday when they host the Knicks.

76ers: Play Saturday at Toronto.

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More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

112288

Thanks to 112288 for his usual on the spot delivery of the post-game thread.

Three games, three starting lineups.

One other thing stands out to me
Two sprained ankles?  Yeesh!

Nice to get the win.

THANKS NY!

112288

Thanks 112288 for firing this puppy up!

Not a pretty game but we are, to say the least, depleted.  No Hayward (of course), no Morris (still) and no Smart.  If there something good about double sprained ankles it's that you don't want to even try walking on either of them.

We have no offensive flow, limited ball movement.  The way we were moving the ball around in the pre-season has stopped, and I don't think it was all Hayward.  16 assists on 35fgm is poor ball movement.  We are having serious chemistry problems.

Irving with a decent stat line until you see the 5 TOs on 4 assists.  We need him to work on that especially now that Hayward is gone.

Tatum with another weak shooting night (3-8, he was 2-6) but he was 9-9 from the line on a night where we only shot 68.8% (22-32) from there.  Tatum also had 8 boards and 3 blocks (and I think he had another but got called for a foul).  He's doing ok for a 3-game-so-far rookie.  Irving, to his credit was 6-7 from the line.  Take Tatum out and we shot 13-23, 56.5%.  For a professional basketball team, that is truly embarrassing.  Brown 0-3, Rozier 0-3.  This game almost got lost at the line and with our poor perimeter defense.  Former Celtic scrub Jerryd Bayless and 33 year old JJ Redick combined for 37 points on 14-28 and 8-13 from 3.

Instead it was lost because Joel Embiid was 4-16 and Simmons was 4-11.  Everybody is ooohing and ahhhing about how Simmons rebounds and passes and all but if he shoots like this that's not going to help the team.  Embiid looked very tentative on offense but he had 14 boards and 2 blocks.  I shudder to think what he's like on his good shooting nights.  

Larkin was a savior in the 4th quarter.  He did what Irving should have been doing, taking over the game and scoring points.  He looked very cool out there, especially when he was shooting, while Irving did not.  Larkin played 19 minutes and had 4 assists and only 1 TO while Irving played 36 minutes and had 4 assists too, but 5 TOs.  Irving's still new and needs some more time but this integration has not been seamless nor painless.

Another strong game by TRo and another game where he makes some boneheaded decisions.  He ran into a Sixer and jumped to pass, right into the Sixers hands.  He then ran down court and took an unnecessarily hurried missed 3 that gave them time to bring it back and score just before the half.  Overall Rozier is starting off the year great, 14 points on 6-11 with 7 rebounds this game, but he has had brain farts in almost every game so far too.  Even though he was drafted as a point guard this really is his first year where he's actually being given the ball and told to run offenses, the last two years that job fell to IT and Smart.  There was a spell where he was the floor general out there with Irving on the floor but playing off-the-ball.  Did I mention that little 6'2" guard had 7 rebounds?  One of them he outfought Simmons for underneath.

Brown a forgettable 4-13.  8 boards.  Horford 5-16.  Overall our starting 5 was 24-62, 38.7%.

Baynesy was a beastie under the boards.  8 rebounds in 14 minutes, 5 offensive.

Theis looked lost out there.  I think the speed of the real NBA games vs real NBA players is coming home.  He has struggled against speed and he has struggled against strength.  I still think he'll be ok, but his eyes are getting popped open right now.

Some home cooking against the hopeless, hapless Knicks on Tuesday.  I wonder if Brad will put length (Horford) or beef (Baynes) on Zinger.

http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400974772


bob


.

Bob very accurate post as always, saw the game on replay. Not pretty, but we'll take it. Jaylen didn't have his best shooting game, but he stayed aggressive, you still have to be able to help your team when your shot is off, he still did well overall defensively as he can cover many positions. We won the battle on the boards, Tatum, Brown, Baynes and Al all helping controlling the missed shots. 

Larkin played well, this team can get open looks, we just have to be able to hit them, the shots he hit were big, Agree with you wholeheartedly on Rozier, he does some good things, he hit some shots, but he still makes a few boneheaded decisions every game, especially on the break. Kyrie is still figuring how to run and play in this offense, at winning time he hit some big shots.

Thanks Bob but I set the table for your astute analysis.

112288

Hi,
Yes, a win is a win is a win. But this game was... oy vey.
At some point I had to admit to myself that Celtics were bailed out by the refs. Speaking of which. The refereeing was horrible. I thought that Brad and Brett will go ballistic and holding hands make a few loops around the Earth.
I think it will take a lot of hard work, sweat and tears, to get that chemistry going. Hopefully, the Celtics are able to do it within a couple of months.
OTOH, look on the bright side: our youngs are in the thick of it from day 1, will have opportunity to grow up really fast.

AK

112288 wrote:Thanks Bob but I set the table for your astute analysis.

112288

112288,

You did indeed set the table.  I like getting my thoughts down on paper, such as this is, and then going back and reading the opinions of the sportswriters you bring here.  I find it amusing how we can sometimes appear to be on completely different planets.


bob


.

Team play wins games and every player has to be ready to step up when their number gets called.

I didn't know Marcus would be out but I still like Baynes starting. Hope to see the same starters on Tuesday. I think that lineup will play well and set up the second unit to come in and make a difference.

While the injury to GH is horrible, it will make this team better. The playing time the young guns are going to get will prove invaluable for years to come. Everyone has to be able to come in and make a difference. Even if it is only to #hackbigben. While Al and Kyrie led the C's to the win, but it was Shane who really made the difference down the stretch. Last year I doubt if a guy like Jabari would have been called on but he got the job done when it was most important There are going to be nights that will need all 12 on the active roster to step up and contribute to the win.

Every team page is filled with complaints about NBA officiating. Every fan knows that these refs are not getting the job done. Why is it that the NBA doesn't? There is nothing that will hurt the game and fan support more than bad calls. While enforcement of the rules, like travelling, are important, they slow and disrupt the pace of the game and that is a fan turnoff. IMO, the NBA needs to upgrade the quality and capability of their officials. It's a lot easier to overcome slowed down play when the replay clearly shows the infraction then it is to overcome one bad call after another.

Next week we go over .500. This season is On!

17goingon18

I'll make a more developed post later. But the traveling calls were bullshit.

Get used to those stupid travelling calls, it is a rule that the NBA is hell bent on enforcing. I wonder how many travels LBJ will get since he takes three steps everytime he goes to the basket. It is a joke and a momentum breaker at times. I hate it. Refs are taking over the games, some of those calls (on both sides) were ridiculous.

We are going to have to be patient..remember we have two 19 and 20 year olds in the lineup who still have alot to learn. They are showing promise though, so we have to relax and realize this is a different team without Gordon on the court. ah..........what could have been this year is going to have to wait until next. Any chance of Kyrie jumping ship??

k_j_88 wrote:I'll make a more developed post later. But the traveling calls were bullshit.

Very ticky tack...and it went both ways. Poorly officiated game.

As for Irving leading the Celtics in scoring, he shot 7 for 17 and had a lot of difficulty creating his own shot. Again, too much dribbling, not enough passing.

The Celtics are now ranked 13th in the league in +/- rebounding. Last year they finished an abysmal 27th of the 30 teams. The difference is very noticeable watching the games. Baines is helping; so is Tatum and Brown, and of course, Horford. I am sure it was a point of emphasis during the offseason and preseason.

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sixers/five-observations-best-and-worst-awards-from-sixers-loss-to-boston-celtics-20171021.html

Speaking of Oy Vey.  Philly sports fans are special.

Mrkleen,
Sorry, but what "oy vey" has to do with Philly sports fans?

AK

Kyrie might be getting fined.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/kyrie-irving-no-regrets-telling-fan-s-d-article-1.3579746

http://www.12up.com/posts/5699762-video-watch-jayson-tatum-stuff-markelle-fultz-at-the-rim






[size=31]VIDEO: Watch Jayson Tatum Stuff Markelle Fultz at the Rim[/size]












Think Jayson Tatum took the draft personally?

The third overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft got the better of the first overall pick, as Tatum stayed behind Fultz to block the easy layup.


https://streamable.com/vkbv4

​​
It was an impressive play by Tatum, who is already beginning to leaves his mark with the Celtics. He will have to keep it up as the team will be without Gordon Hayward for the majority of the season.

Tatum is also playing big minutes to start his professional career, and that will mean he has more opportunities to contribute in big plays like he did against Fultz.

 Follow
Daniel Reifler @Reifsy


[ltr]My only consolation in this game is that Tatum is so much better than Fultz[/ltr]





5:52 PM - Oct 20, 2017

While the season unfolds, Tatum will do his best to prove that he's the all around better athlete, player, and teammate than Fultz. Considering these two were traded for each other (essentially), they'll be compared for the rest of their careers.



bob



.

The offense had no flow. Turnovers and missed free throws could have blown the game. The officiating was bad on both sides. But ultimately, the Celtics did what was needed to win a tight, ugly game.

A few things...

-I'm loving what I see from Tatum. He's gotten very comfortable by his third game and is a very consistent scorer and rebounder at this point. In 32 minutes, he scored 15 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. His defense is getting better as well. He's using his length to bother shots and knock the ball away. His chase down block against Fultz was beautiful.

-I'm impressed with Kyrie Irving's defense. A lot of people were saying he's not a very good defender and is about as bad as Thomas but I'm seeing something else. He's crafty at tipping passes and knocking the ball away. His superior length is showing that he's not the defensive liability that people were assuming he'd be. Kyrie also hits some beautiful shots and he finishes at the rim as well as anyone.

-Baynes is fun to watch. He's always mixing it up in the paint. He's able to send a message: come to the lane and you're going to get hit. Hard. I just wish he'd clean up some of the fouls so he can be a physical presence and stay out there a bit longer. He added 10 points and 8 rebounds.

-Jaylen had 9 points and 8 rebounds. He didn't have a huge scoring night but he did play effective defense and he is emerging as a leader form what I've seen.

-Shane Larkin *finally* played some team basketball. He hit some timely shots and did a better job of running the offense.

-Rozier is a nice scoring machine off the bench with 14 points. He had a few nice finishes, too. Perhaps Kyrie's game is rubbing off on him a bit.

Going forward, I'd be starting Baynes and keeping Smart coming off the bench. The rotation has struggled without Hayward, which shifted everything. But You need Smart to help Rozier anchor the second unit.


KJ

Kyrie fined $25k by the league for an "inappropriate response" to a Philly fan the other night.

The fan asked him "where's LeBron at?" and Kyrie responded "s--- m- d---".

Money well-spent.


bob


.

steve3344 wrote:Kyrie might be getting fined.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/kyrie-irving-no-regrets-telling-fan-s-d-article-1.3579746

$25,000.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2740101-kyrie-irving-fined-25000-for-yelling-suck-my-d-k-at-76ers-fan?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

sinus007 wrote:Mrkleen,
Sorry, but what "oy vey" has to do with Philly sports fans?

AK

Philly sports fans are the worst. They throw batteries at Santa, they disrespect legends, they literally have had a statue honoring a FICTITIOUS BOXER (Rocky), yet one of the best of all time is from Philly (Joe Frazier) only got his recognition 2 years ago. The Sixers havent been good since Moses was in short pants yet it takes them 3 minutes to start screaming at the refs.

They are like your friend who didnt go with you to a game in 10 years, and then shows up with a throwback Bobby Jones jersey and tries to act like he has been there all along. Literally the worst.

Adrian Wojnarowski
@wojespn
Agent to ESPN: Markelle Fultz had fluid drained from shoulder, "literally cannot raise up arms to shoot ..." Story:


bob


.

bobheckler wrote:Adrian Wojnarowski
@wojespn
Agent to ESPN: Markelle Fultz had fluid drained from shoulder, "literally cannot raise up arms to shoot ..." Story:


bob


.

The deal for Tatum looks better every day.

26ers are cursed...

KJ