Boston Celtics: Takeaways Preseason Game vs. 76ers
By Andrew Fine
The Boston Celtics concluded their strong preseason with a 81-65 win over the Philadelphia 76ers at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester (NH). The Celtics rested several of their starters after the first half and emptied their bench to give some players a closer look.
The team finished 6-1 in the preseason and will begin the regular season at home against Philadelphia on Wednesday October 28th. Here are five takeaways from the team’s final preseason game:
Sloppy Basketball by Both Teams
This was not a pretty basketball game at all. The Celtics led by as many as 12 in the first half, by saw that lead dwindle to three due to turnovers and poor shooting. The Celtics shot 37.5% from the field and 18.2% from three in the first half. The team turned the ball over 11 times in the half, but the Sixers’ shooting woes kept them from coming back.
Overall, Boston held Philadelphia to 28.9% shooting from the field, including 21.7% in the second half. Philadelphia could have won this game if they did not shoot themselves into defeat.
Rebounding Machines
With poor shooting comes a lot of misses, which means there are a lot of rebounds up for grabs. The Celtics gathered 67 rebounds as a team and had three players in double-digits in that category (Jared Sullinger 14, Amir Johnson 13, Kelly Olynyk 12).
Tough Night for Thomas and Young
Isaiah Thomas missed the past two games with knee tendonitis and had a rough return Friday night. Thomas shot an awful 3/17 from the field in 23 minutes. Young, meanwhile, had another tough game, shooting 1/12 from the field and 1/6 from 3-point range. Let’s hope both players got their poor shooting out-of-the-way before the regular season begins.
Mickey-Mania
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Jordan Mickey was one of the few Celtics players who shot the ball efficiently against the 76ers. Mickey entered the game in the fourth quarter and provided instant offense for the Celtics. He scored 10 points on 5/7 shooting, while also picking up four rebounds in 12 minutes.
It’ll be tough to see Mickey spend a bunch time in the D-League (unfortunately a likely destination for him this season), but hopefully he’ll see some extended minutes with the Celtics sometime.
Johnson Being Johnson
Amir Johnson grinds, hustles, and does all the little things. Friday night’s game was a textbook night for Johnson, who had 8 points, 14 rebounds (five of which were offensive), and two blocks in 18 minutes. He fits in nicely coming off the bench and has been a great pick up for the team.
Next: Boston Celtics: Complete Eastern Conference Preview