Boston Celtics basketball is back, as the Green Team kicked off preseason play with a 121-103 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night. The players Boston expects to lead this year in the absence of star forward Jayson Tatum did just that against the Grizz. Jaylen Brown recorded a team-high 21 points in just 20 minutes while shooting 46% from the field and 50% from deep. Fellow Celtics starter Derrick White was also productive, contributing 16 points in 27 minutes to go along with a game-high 10 assists.
Boston’s typical go-to guys weren’t the only ones who had successful outings in Memphis. First-year Celtic Luka Garza posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 16 minutes while rookie Hugo Gonzalez added eight points, three rebounds, three blocks, and one thunderous dunk.
Although the C’s lost the fourth quarter, they led by as many as 29 points and virtually controlled the entire game. Of course, neither side was at full strength for this preseason showdown, with Celtics guards Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons sitting while Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Ty Jerome, and other key guys were sidelined for the Grizzlies.
Potential starting center Neemias Queta also didn’t suit up for the Celtics. And Jordan Walsh, who many Celtics fans were looking forward to seeing on the cusp of his third year in the NBA, played just eight minutes before he was shut down for the rest of the night due to left adductor tightness.
Following this strong double-digit victory, the Celtics will get back to action on Friday night with another preseason battle against the Toronto Raptors.
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