On the opening night of the NBA season, the Celtics played the Cavaliers and the Rockets played the Warriors.
After Boston’s 114-112 defeat of the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night, those opening night matchups will be the same ones we see in Conference Finals in the East and West.
During the win, Celtics rookie Jayson Tatum went for 25 points, second-year player Jaylen Brown had 24 and backup point guard Terry Rozier scored 17 and had a key strip of Sixers big man Joel Embiid with less than 10 seconds less in the game.
Other than that play, it was a good night for Embiid as he had 27 points and 12 boards. Ben Simmons added 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists while teammate Dario Saric had 27 points and 10 rebounds.
“Things haven’t always gone our way, but these guys are really talented, they’re really tough, they fit Boston,” said Boston coach Brad Stevens. “And hopefully we keep playing well.”
With the victory, Boston will face LeBron James and Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight season. The series would have a bit more juice if injured Celtic guard and ex-Cav Kyrie Irving were healthy, but it has the makings of an entertaining matchup anyway.
The Eastern Conference Finals start Sunday and the Western Conference Finals start Monday.
Whether you’re looking to get into shape, or just get out of a funk, The Charge has got you covered. Sign up for our new wellness newsletter today.
