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Is this the year the Celtics take the Cup seriously?
Boston certainly looked interested Friday night, opening their first group-stage game with a 44-point first quarter, a 29-point halftime lead and Payton Pritchard briefly transforming into that cyborg version of himself who keeps showing up in NBC Sports Boston broadcasts.
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Then the Bulls started making things interesting. Chicago won the second half 62-47, whittling what had once been a 32-point Celtics lead down to 14 by the final buzzer.
Boston still walked away with a 125-111 win and a 1-0 record in East Group C, though Washington holds the early advantage in point differential. The Celtics gave us plenty to get excited about in the first half, and Joe Mazzulla plenty to get annoyed about in the second.
1. The Celtics want the Cup
Earlier this week inside TD Garden, my Australian brethren Jake and Ben from First to the Floor asked whether the Celtics would take the NBA Cup seriously this year. The first half looked like a defiant “you betcha.”
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Boston’s first five baskets came in the paint. The Celtics scored 44 in the first quarter, shot 63 percent in the first half and went into the break up 78-49. Pritchard already had 20 points.
The Bulls made the game, and the Cup standings, less comfortable after halftime. They won the second half by 15 and cut Boston’s final margin to 14. Washington also won its opener, leaving both teams 1-0 in East Group C, with the Wizards two points ahead on point differential.
Boston led by as many as 32 and won by 14. That’s a heck of a way to start the Cup, but those 18 points that disappeared along the way could come back to haunt them.
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2. Paul George was meant to be a Celtic
I keep trying to find a less obvious way to say this, but Paul George looks like he was meant to be a Celtic.
His connection with Tatum looks instant and incredible. Whether Tatum or George starts the action, they seem to know how to turn it into a good look for the other. George can run the offense himself, but he’s just as happy to make the extra pass, cut behind a defender or do the work that makes somebody else’s life…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/10-takeaways-celtics-nba-cup-110000443.html
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Publish date : 2026-10-31 11:00:00
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