Jaylen Brown scored 24 points as the Boston Celtics cruised past the Charlotte Hornets in Joe Mazzula’s first trip as head coach of the 17-time NBA champions.
TD Garden welcomed the reigning Eastern Conference champions back home Sunday afternoon in Boston for the first preseason before the upcoming 2022-23 campaign, and the team did not disappoint.
Jaylen Brown shot 8/11 from the field and 3/5 from downtown for 24 points, five rebounds and one assist in just 23 minutes. His sidekick Jayson Tatum added 16 points, six rebounds and three assists to lead the Celtics to an emphatic 134-93 win.
You will love to see this combination pic.twitter.com/jXYQ9tMYQf
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 2, 2022
Interim head coach Joe Mazzula has enjoyed a stellar start to life as the Celtics’ boss, and new signing Malcolm Brogdon has praised the 34-year-old’s coaching style.
“He’s not loud; he’s not loud. He’s very deliberate; he’s very direct. He’s not a guy who talks a lot and tells you a lot because he wants you to come out and have a clear mind. He’s very direct and very honest in what he expects from you, which I think it’s everything an NBA player wants in a coach.
Boston has a chip on their shoulder this year after losing 4-2 to Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals in June, but the poor season has raised questions about whether the team can repeat last season. Success.
All-Defensive center Robert Williams will miss 2-3 months after knee surgery that kept him out of games against the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat.
Free agent signing Danilo Gallinari tore his ACL while playing for Italy in FIBA World Cup qualifying this summer and is recovering ahead of his return in the 2023 playoffs.
Boston recently added Blake Griffin to a one-year minimum deal that gives the team improved depth at the forward position and adds veteran leadership to a contending side.
The Celtics are sure to be the frontrunners to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy next June, but they will face stiff opposition from the likes of the Warriors, Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns.
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