Dirty act sparks ugly clash in NBA season-opener

2 years ago 121

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 35 points and the Boston Celtics bushed the Philadelphia 76ers 126-117 successful the opening crippled of the NBA regular season.

The scores were tied astatine 63 points apiece erstwhile tempers flared conscionable seconds into the 2nd half.

Boston's Marcus Smart took offence to having his limb tied up by Sixers large antheral Joel Embiid and tripped Embiid arsenic helium attempted to tally down to the different extremity of the court.

Embiid fell to the crushed and instantly got into a scuffle with Smart's teammate Brown earlier the referees intervened, giving Smart a method foul.

The scuffle seemed to ignite Boston, who finished the stronger of the 2 teams.

The atrocious humor did not subside aft the contention ended either, with Brown of the content that Embiid tried to purposely wounded his teammate.

Smart besides chimed in, saying helium believed Embiid tried to interruption his arm, saying "I could've cracked his caput open, but I didn't".

Malcolm Brogdon added 16 points and Grant Williams finished with 15 arsenic the defending Eastern Conference champions gave interim manager Joe Mazzulla a triumph successful his debut.

Mazzulla has been tasked with starring the squad aft Ime Udoka was suspended for the play pursuing an probe by a instrumentality steadfast that recovered helium committed aggregate violations of squad policies.

Mazzulla successfully led a Celtics squad that precise overmuch resembled the 1 that made a astonishment tally to the NBA Finals a play ago.

Boston opened up a 110-97 pb with 8 minutes to play and ne'er trailed again.

James Harden scored 35 points — his astir since joining the 76ers past play — including 12-of-12 from the escaped propulsion line. He besides had 5 three-pointers.

Embiid added 26 points and 15 rebounds portion shooting defender Tyrese Maxey finished with 21 points for the 76ers.

Mazzulla has vowed to support the absorption connected gathering upon the civilization Udoka established connected the tribunal arsenic a rookie caput manager past season.

He insists that it volition beryllium done chiefly connected the antiaircraft extremity of the floor, but the offence was the communicative for the Celtics connected Wednesday (AEDT) with 56 per cent shooting from the field.

With large antheral Robert Williams sidelined arsenic helium recovers from off-season country connected his knee, the Celtics stuck with the aforesaid starting lineup they employed during the preseason, playing antiaircraft stalwart Derrick White alongside Marcus Smart, Tatum, Brown and Al Horford.

The smaller radical sped Philadelphia up astatine times, forcing the 76ers into 14 turnovers for the game, starring to 22 Boston points.

The 76ers are looking to contend with the apical teams successful the Eastern Conference with Harden embarking connected his archetypal afloat play successful Philadelphia aft being swapped for Ben Simmons precocious past play successful a commercialized with Brooklyn.

Harden looked rejuvenated coming disconnected a play defined by hamstring injuries that hampered his effectiveness successful a truncated 21 regular-season games with the Sixers past season.

The 10-time All-Star frustrated the Celtics, displaying the mobility helium was missing a twelvemonth ago. He was capable to get to the escaped propulsion enactment often. He besides was effectual from the three-point line, connecting connected 4 successful the archetypal half, including a rainbow heave from the apical of the cardinal to bushed the changeable timepiece precocious successful the 2nd quarter.

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