As the Celtics were introduced for their preseason game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, remnants of green and white confetti gently fell from the rafters—a subtle reminder of what took place the last time they were on the parquet.
While the confetti drifted down, the Celtics went through their usual high-five line as the starters slowly made their way to the scorers’ table. The process dragged, leading to a delay of game warning from the officials. But make no mistake, Boston wasn’t stalling.
The Celtics came out swinging, building a 22-point lead in the opening frame, and never looked back.
Though the night felt more like a scrimmage against the Delaware Blue Coats, with the 76ers resting their regulars, Boston looked every bit like the team that celebrated in that same confetti just months ago, cruising to a 139-89 victory.
“It’s about us,” Jaylen Brown said postgame. “Every time we step out on the floor, it don’t really matter who the opponent is.”
The 76ers’ depleted lineup had no answer for the Celtics, as Brown and Jayson Tatum combined for 34 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists, finishing a +23 in just 23 minutes. Boston rolled to a 50-point win.
Sure, preseason results don’t mean much, especially with starters sitting out, but the Celtics have outscored their opponents by 80 points in their two preseason games—reminiscent of last season’s dominance.
It was apparent early on in Abu Dhabi that the Celtics were ready for regular season play. After a week off, it is even more apparent. Boston poured in 139 points, tied for the most this preseason with the 76ers (who played the New Zealand Breakers of the NBL), on 53-of-97 (54.6%) shooting from the field and 23-of-47 (48.9%) from deep with 38 assists.
Their 38 assists were the second-most by any team this preseason, their 23 three-pointers also ranked second, and their 53 made shots were the most by any team.
Here are four takeaways from the win:
Luke Kornet continues to shine
After scoring his 10th point on an and-one putback, just over five minutes into the game, Luke Kornet turned to Jayson Tatum and flashed a “1” and “0” with his hands before pointing up to the scoreboard.
Later, in the second quarter, Kornet made a driving left-handed layup and stared at his left hand as he ran back to the other end of the court.
“You gotta love the Luke Kornet celebrations. Where would we be without those?” Jaylen Brown asked with a smile after the game. “We love to have personality on our team and have fun, and Luke is the spirit of that.”
Kornet was having fun – and he looked good doing it.
With Al Horford sidelined for a third straight game as the Celtics continue to ramp the 38-year-old up for the regular season, Kornet once again slid into the starting lineup, and he continued to prove he is a reliable big man option.
The 7-foot-2 Vanderbilt product dominated the first quarter, scoring eight of Boston’s first 11 points. He finished the quarter with 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting (71.4%) and grabbed four rebounds, including three offensive boards, in just 6:35 minutes. Kornet led all scorers in the first half with 15 points and pulled down seven rebounds, with five offensive rebounds—more than the entire 76ers team (3)—helping the Celtics rack up 12 second-chance points.
“He’s worked really hard this summer, and I’ve definitely seen him get better,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said after the game. “Just his screen reads, his spacing recognition. He’s one of our best defenders because of his ability to communicate on the fly the different stuff that we do every single possession, and he does a great job of reading each possession and I think he’s gotten really better offensively up to this point, just with his screening angles and his spacing recognition. And he continues to get better and better.”
Kornet continues to fit in seamlessly with the starters. He’s a smart player who does the little things well, creating opportunities for his teammates. It’s clear Kornet is more than capable of producing in an extended role while Kristaps Porzingis is sidelined.
“Luke knows how to play. Being in the right place at the right time,” Brown said. “Being able to find him and get him going helps our offense, and everybody else get easy ones. We’re looking forward to Luke being able to step up and make plays for us on both ends. He’s a big part of our offense.”
Xavier Tillman’s three-point shooting
Speaking of the bigs, Xavier Tillman also impressed on Saturday night, and it started again with his three-point shooting.
The 25-year-old knocked down all three of his attempts from downtown and is now shooting 6-of-8 (75%) through three games this preseason.
“He’s just doing a great job being decisive,” Mazzulla said. “His shot selection and his spacing and his pick-and-roll reads, so he’s worked really hard in the offseason, just becoming more versatile. The player development team has worked really hard on that, and it’s a credit to them. He’s playing really well, and I really like the time he’s putting into it.”
It’s a small sample size, but it certainly is encouraging.
A career 26.7% three-point shooter, Tillman has had his struggles from beyond the arc. But based on what we’ve seen in practice and warmups, he’s clearly capable of expanding his range. If he can become a reliable three-point shooter, it will give the Celtics more options and could earn him more playing time as a floor spacer, especially with Porzingis sidelined.
Side note: while it’s hard to put much stock into the +/- numbers given the squad Philadelphia rolled out, Tillman’s +38 in just 15:51 is both fun and crazy.
The bench shooting
Boston’s second unit shot the lights out. Collectively, they shot a scorching 17-of-29 (58.6%) from deep.
The three-point barrage was led by Sam Hauser, who knocked down five of his six attempts. While Payton Pritchard, Tillman, and Jordan Walsh each had three.
Pritchard’s 11 made threes (on 50% shooting) are the second-most by any player this preseason, trailing only Julian Champagnie of the Spurs (13). Hauser’s 10 makes (on 58.7% shooting) are tied for the third-most.
The Celtics, as a team, jacked up 47 three-point attempts. They are averaging a league-high 51.7 attempts per game through three preseason games.
“The goal is never to just shoot them. The goal is to find the best shot,” Mazzulla said on the high volume of three-point attempts. “Whatever shot we’re able to generate by executing vs. the defense is the most important thing.”
It’s well-known that the three-ball will be a central part of Boston’s offense. Last season, the Celtics made 1,351 threes—the second-most in NBA history, behind the 2022-23 Golden State Warriors. They led the NBA in attempts per game with 42.5.
Lonnie Walker IV’s best game of the preseason
Entering Saturday night, it had been a rough for Lonnie Walker. The Exhibit-10 signee had only appeared in 11 minutes of action over the first two games, misfiring on all six of his shot attempts.
On Saturday night, the 25-year-old – who has averaged 11.2 points per game over the past four seasons while shooting 42.3% from the field and 35.2% from three – looked more like his old self.
In his first stint with Boston’s regular bench rotation, Walker finished with nine points on 4-of-7 shooting (57.1%), four rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a block in 24 minutes.
“I’m really happy that I got some action today,” Walker said postgame. “Got my feet wet. Made some good reads. Did solid on the defensive end; I think I’ve got to pick that up as well and rebound. As far as what I’ve got to provide for the team, it’s just other ways to impact winning. It’s not just about scoring; I think everyone knows I can score. So, it’s more all the other little things and bumping that up to a whole other notch.”
With Walker on an Exhibit 10 deal, the Celtics can offer him a final roster spot on a minimum contract if things click. If not, Walker could earn a $77,500 bonus for joining the Celtics’ G-League affiliate in Maine. The Celtics would absorb roughly a $10 million luxury tax hit if they sign Walker for the entire season.
“I think he’s been really good. I think it’s an adjustment coming here; it’s a different style of basketball,” Mazzulla said on Walker. “I like his open-mindedness to learning. I like his patience — I saw some things today that he might not think are important or that other people might not, but they’re really, really important things defensively and offensively. Whether it was positioning or whether it was a small cut that he made or a read that he made. Those things go a long way because they open up opportunities, and it may be things that have been taken for granted.”
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