The Boston Celtics held off the Brooklyn Nets for a 122-117 win in their opener on Wednesday at TD Garden.
The Celtics (1-0) came into this game as a 12-point favorite, but the Nets (0-1) made them work for a relieving win. A 36-25 fourth quarter is how Brooklyn crawled back in the game, but Boston did just enough to hold on. The offense was incredibly efficient for the Celtics, as they shot 54 percent from the field and recorded 36 assists on their 48 made baskets. The 22 combined blocks and steals for Boston doubled up that of Brooklyn, who recorded just 11 in total.
Brooklyn was expected to be one of the worst teams in the NBA, but they gave an elite team a run for their money in the opener. The bench was key for the Nets, as Sean Kilpatrick, Joe Harris and Justin Hamilton combined for 48 points and 18 rebounds off the pine. Hamilton actually finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds in the best game of his career. Bojan Bogdanovic led the team in scoring, dropping 21 points on 9-for-17 shooting. Jeremy Lin played well in his debut as well, amassing 18 points, three rebounds and three assists.
Boston made this one a nail biter, but they ended up getting their much deserved win. Isaiah Thomas scored a game-high 25 points in the victory, also adding six rebounds and nine assists. Jae Crowder was second on the team, with his 21 points and five boards. Avery Bradley fell a rebound shy of a double-double, totaling 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Al Hoford stuffed the stat sheet in his debut, accumulating 11 points, five rebounds, six assists and four blocks in the win.
Boston will have a quick turnaround, as they travel to Illinois to play the Chicago Bulls on Thursday. Brooklyn’s next game is on Friday, when they host the Indiana Pacers.
