The reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics picked up where they left off with a win over the Denver Nuggets in their preseason opener in Abu Dhabi.
Denver started hot and took a seven-point lead into halftime, but Boston found its groove defensively over the final two frames. After allowing 32 and 31 points in the first two quarters, the C's allowed only 40 total points in the second half.
Unsurprisingly, Joe Mazzulla's group didn't hesitate to fire away from deep. The Celtics attempted a whopping 61 3-pointers and made 20 of them (32.8 percent). Sixteen of those 3s were made by the second unit, which stepped up to propel Boston to a 107-103 victory.
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The C's and Nuggets will stay in Abu Dhabi for a rematch on Sunday. The opening tip is set for 10 a.m. ET with coverage starting at 9:30 a.m. on NBC Sports Boston.
Here are three quick takeaways from Friday's preseason opener.
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The return of 'Preseason P'
NBC Sports Boston's Celtics play-by-play voice Drew Carter dubbed Payton Pritchard "Preseason P" during the C's guard's outstanding 2023 preseason run. The nickname is back for 2024.
"Preseason P" dropped a game-high 21 points, including 14 in the second quarter. He was 6 of 12 from beyond the arc with a team-high six assists and four rebounds in 24 minutes.
Back-to-back buckets for Pritchard 🔥 pic.twitter.com/mhtIqjmlHv
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) October 4, 2024
Pritchard had two iconic moments in the 2024 NBA Finals, drilling half-court buzzer beaters to end the first halves of Games 2 and 5. While it wasn't from half-court this time, Pritchard continued to show he's virtually automatic in the final seconds of the second quarter.
Pritchard leading the Celtics with 17 points 💪 pic.twitter.com/rPEjA1hto9
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) October 4, 2024
After the game, Pritchard spoke about what he worked on over the summer to improve.
"Getting more consistent off the dribble from the 3-ball," he said. "I thought my finishing and my midrange game last year took a big jump, so I thought that was really good. Obviously, I'm always working on that stuff, but if I can be more efficient shooting off the dribble from there as well as the catch-and-shoot, that completes my game.
"And then defensively, just finding ways to be better at taking charges, getting more hands on balls, steals and stuff like that."
The Celtics will rely on Pritchard to lead the bench unit again on their quest for a repeat.
Shaking off the rust
Boston's starting five looked sharp on the defensive end but shooting-wise, they were a bit rusty in their return to action.
The group combined to shoot 15 for 41 (36.6 percent), including just 5 for 20 (25 percent) from 3-point range. Jayson Tatum (12 points) and Jaylen Brown (8 points) shot 4 of 11 and 3 of 9 from the field, respectively.
Brown had some big moments in the first half, however. He had a ferocious block followed by this emphatic jam on the other end:
JB TO THE RIM ❗ 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ZwP98XM9YE
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) October 4, 2024
Brown notched seven of his eight points in the first quarter.
Luke Kornet (6 points) helped boost the starting five's field goal percentage with three makes on five attempts. Derrick White added nine points while Jrue Holiday chipped in four.
'Stay Ready Crew' shines
The Celtics' supporting cast stole the show in Friday's victory. It all started with Pritchard, but others from the second unit and "Stay Ready Crew" stepped up to secure the win.
JD Davison was involved on both ends, tallying seven points (1-3 FG) with two rebounds, two steals, an assist and a block in 12 minutes.
JD Davison with the block and the SMOOTH assist on the other end 😲 pic.twitter.com/dGcwcXkyBg
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) October 4, 2024
Drew Peterson had 10 points (4-9 FG, 2-5 3-PT) in 12 minutes. Big men Xavier Tillman Sr. (6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block) and Neemias Queta (6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block) helped to ease the concerns about Kristaps Porzingis' absence. Jordan Walsh impressed with nine points, four rebounds, four assists, and three blocks in 25 minutes.
There were questions about Boston's depth at points last season, but it's safe to say they put that narrative to rest during their championship run. Heading into the 2024-25 campaign, the reserves look even better with their sights set on Banner 19.