The Boston Celtics made a statement in their opening night win over the Philadelphia 76ers.Ā
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored 35 points apiece as the Celtics cruised to a 126-117 victory at TD Garden. It wasn't a flawless performance from Boston by any means, but it was a strong showing against one of the league's most talented teams and perhaps the eventual NBA MVP winner in Sixers center Joel Embiid.
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Former player and current ESPN analyst J.J. Redick was quite impressed with the Celtics and is confident in their chances of reaching the NBA Finals for a second consecutive season.
āI think the Boston Celtics are the favorites in the East," Redick said Wednesday on ESPN show "First Take".
Why the Celtics?
"When I look at what the Celtics did on their roster this offseason, and adding Malcolm Brogdon,ā he explained. āHe fills a need that they had off the bench, and he was great (against the 76ers). I expect the Celtics -- they should be the favorites to come out of the East."
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Brogdon played awesome off the bench. He scored 16 points with four assists, two rebounds, two steals and only one turnover in 24 minutes. His ability to score, serve as the primary ballhandler and defend at a high level will be extremely valuable for the Celtics throughout the season. The concern is if Brogdon can stay healthy for an entire campaign, which he hasn't been able to do for most of his career.
While the Celtics look impressive, they have plenty of competition in the East.
The Milwaukee Bucks are probably the mainĀ threat to the Celtics in the East. The Bucks are a talented, well-coached team led by arguably the best player in the league in GiannisĀ Antetokounmpo. The Bucks' Big Three of Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday andĀ Antetokounmpo is more formidable than most.
Celtics Talk POSTGAME POD: The Jays lead Celtics to Opening Night win over 76ers | Listen & Subscribe
The Sixers should be there in the end, too. despite an 0-2 start. There's a ton of talent on that Philly roster with Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey. The Brooklyn Nets are off to a rough start, but any roster with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons must be taken seriously.Ā
We cannot forget about the Miami Heat, either. The Heat have an excellent starting five, a proven playoff leader in Jimmy Butler and a top three head coach in Erik Spoelstra.
The Celtics and Heat played a seven-game Eastern Conference Finals series last season, with Boston prevailing in a dramatic Game 7 down in Miami. That rivalry will resume Friday night when the Celtics visit FTX Arena for the first time since winning the East back in May.