Celtics 'buy in,' run off with win in Mazzulla debut

BOSTON -- After Celtics interim caput manager Joe Mazzulla entered the locker country for the archetypal clip arsenic a winning manager pursuing Boston's season-opening 126-117 triumph implicit the Philadelphia 76ers connected Tuesday night, helium gave his players a fewer moments of praise and encouragement for a broad show against 1 of the franchise's oldest and astir bitter rivals.

Then, helium paused.

"I don't deliberation helium knew it was coming," Jaylen Brown would aboriginal accidental with a smile.

The "it" Brown was referring to was the h2o vessel ablution helium and the remainder of his teammates gave their manager to observe his archetypal triumph -- which was instantly followed by Celtics proprietor Wyc Grousbeck presenting Mazzulla with the crippled ball. For a squad that has been done rather a spot implicit the past respective weeks since Celtics caput manager Ime Udoka was suspended for the play conscionable days earlier grooming camp, it was a cathartic moment.

"I'm grateful for the narration we have," Mazzulla said. "These guys person been done a batch together, and they're large players. So it's conscionable a substance of moving together. So I admit their spot and buy-in, but they travel up with a batch of bully worldly arsenic good and we benignant of conscionable fig it out."

The Celtics surely figured plentifulness of things retired Tuesday night, arsenic they -- rather virtually -- ran the 76ers disconnected the famed parquet level astatine TD Garden. With starting halfway and antiaircraft anchor Robert Williams III retired for the adjacent mates of months, astatine least, pursuing offseason genu surgery, the Celtics are going to beryllium smaller and quicker than astir opponents -- and surely than the 76ers, acknowledgment to the beingness of superstar halfway Joel Embiid.

So, Tuesday night, Boston utilized that velocity and quickness to its advantage, thing Mazzulla and the Celtics person been focused connected since the commencement of grooming camp. The Celtics outscored the 76ers 24-2 successful accelerated interruption points, making Philadelphia prima James Harden (who had an eye-popping 35-point, 8-rebound, 7-assist enactment Tuesday night) look atrocious respective times, successful particular.

The effect was a show that saw Boston sprout implicit 60 percent implicit the last 3 quarters, erasing an aboriginal shortage to assertion a broad triumph successful beforehand of a raucous location assemblage connected a nighttime the franchise honored the late, large Bill Russell, whose No. 6 has been retired crossed the NBA pursuing his decease successful July.

"Pace is the virtuousness of this team," Celtics guardant Grant Williams said. "We person a clump of guys that tin bring it, a clump of guys that are playmakers for 1 another, and we spot everybody. We spot everybody to marque the close decision, to marque the close read, to marque the close play. So that's wherefore we support the shot up and we play freely. That encourages players to beryllium who they are and that allows a batch of state and opportunity. It makes everybody a threat."

While everyone connected the Celtics whitethorn beryllium a threat, they were led Tuesday -- similar they often are -- by their prima wings, Jayson Tatum and Brown. Tatum finished with 35 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists, portion Brown had 35 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists, making them the archetypal teammates to each people 35 successful a play opener since Hall of Famers Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain did it for the Los Angeles Lakers successful 1969, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

"It was conscionable successful the flow," Tatum said successful describing his and Brown's performances. "A batch of times we don't needfully telephone sets, and if we do, it's benignant of random sometimes, but it's each astir making the sacrificial chopped oregon getting idiosyncratic other open, oregon passing up a bully changeable for a large shot, getting retired successful transition. The shot rewards successful basketball, and the guys spot america to marque the close play. The close play tin beryllium for ourselves sometimes oregon others, truthful I deliberation it was conscionable successful the travel of the crippled tonight."

Beyond Mazzulla's debut, the different lingering representation from the crippled was the dustup -- not for the archetypal clip successful their careers -- betwixt Embiid and Celtics defender Marcus Smart. Smart was called for a foul for defending Embiid, who appeared to hook Smart's limb nether his. After Smart fell to the crushed pursuing the foul call, helium snatched astatine Embiid's close limb arsenic the helium began walking away.

Embiid past fell to the crushed himself, earlier Brown raced successful to get involved. Eventually, however, the play resulted successful lone idiosyncratic and method fouls being called connected Smart -- who was not blessed with however it shook out.

"Went for a rebound. Basketball play. Went for the steal. Basketball play. Referee blows his whistle, calls a foul. I halt play, my arm's inactive stuck successful determination and helium tries to interruption it. And past I'm the lone 1 who gets a tech?" Smart asked rhetorically.

"Everybody saw it. I don't person to support talking astir it. If I did that, I'm astir apt ejected, suspended 3 games, 4 games, fined ... but the information that I was the lone 1 that got I conjecture thing retired of that is benignant of beyond me. Especially defending DPOY and that's however helium gets treated? It's tough. But, similar I said, it's maturity. I could person cracked his caput unfastened but I didn't. And that's the maturity we have. So we determination connected from it. It is what it is. And we power what we tin control."

Ultimately, though, the dustup betwixt Smart and Embiid was a little infinitesimal of vexation successful what mostly was a celebratory nighttime for the Celtics -- 1 that saw, to a man, each subordinate praise Mazzulla for however helium has led them done the past fewer weeks since Udoka was suspended for the play for violations of squad policies.

Brown said helium is "tough arsenic nails." Newcomer Malcolm Brogdon praised his ever even-keeled demeanor. Smart said it was evident Mazzulla was "oozing" confidence.

"He wouldn't person took immoderate of the recognition for tonight, but the happening that I similar astir Joe and respect astir him is that he's precise honorable that helium doesn't cognize everything," Tatum said. "He wants america to assistance him retired arsenic overmuch arsenic he's helping america out. It's similar we're successful a relationship, and we're each connected the aforesaid leafage and trying to execute the aforesaid thing. We're each successful this together."

The mentation of the Celtics that came unneurotic Tuesday nighttime was 1 that looked much than susceptible of repeating arsenic Eastern Conference champions. But for Mazzulla, it was the archetypal of what he, and the Celtics, anticipation volition beryllium galore wins this season.

"It was a arrogant moment," Mazzulla said. "I deliberation it started with the Bill Russell ceremonial and conscionable talking to the squad astir the bequest helium near connected and disconnected the tribunal and the work we transportation to beryllium capable to clasp that and physique our ain legacy.

"I deliberation astatine the extremity of the game, the 'Let's go, Celtics' chant, we picked up close wherever we near off. I pridefulness myself successful the Boston fans and the metropolis of Boston, and erstwhile they're cheering for you, it means you're doing thing right."