The Celtics’ opening-night loss to the Pistons stung for one obvious reason: Boston had that game in hand, then let a 22-point lead slip away. Jayson Tatum’s rough night only poured fuel on the reaction afterward, and the noise around him got loud fast. But there was still a reason to keep some perspective.
The latest reminder came from Philadelphia.
The 76ers erased a 29-point deficit against the Cleveland Cavaliers, turning a game that looked cooked by halftime into a win. That kind of rally is hard to ignore, especially when it comes on the heels of Boston’s collapse and the night after Miami was humiliated by Minnesota. For the Celtics, it at least makes the loss in Detroit a little easier to live with.
No lead is safe when two teams are in that upper tier of the East. Boston found that out against Detroit.
Cleveland found it out against Philadelphia. The final score still hurts, but it looks a lot less strange when another contender does almost the exact same thing, only from an even bigger hole.
That’s what makes these East heavyweight matchups so compelling. Boston and Detroit gave fans a wild opener, with the Celtics landing the first shot before the Pistons answered.
Cleveland and Philadelphia followed the same script. Teams at this level are going to trade punches, and the game can flip fast once one side gets rolling.
The bigger lesson is simple: a big lead looks great until it doesn’t. The Pistons and Sixers both showed they can take a punch and keep coming, and that’s exactly why these games should be such a show.
It’s still only one game, and opening night always brings its own chaos. The Celtics don’t get to pretend the loss never happened, but they also don’t need to treat it like the end of the world.
Early signs suggest the road is going to be tough. They should be ready for it.
In Other News...
Mitchell Robinson Added More Drama To Celtics Win Over Knicks
Mitchell Robinsons first game against the Knicks since landing in Boston already had a little extra bite, and the setting only made it louder. The Celtics came away with a 107-103 win, giving Robinson a chance to see his old team from the other side while settling into a role that had him on the floor for 22 minutes.
Robinson chipped in a quiet but useful line with four points, four rebounds, two assists and a block, helping Boston get through a tight finish against a familiar opponent. Off the court, though, he stirred the pot in his own way when he took to Instagram to mock a fan who apparently still thought he was wearing Knicks colors, adding a little more drama to a night that was already wrapped around the rivalry. [Read more 🡒]
Jayson Tatum Delivered The Response Celtics Fans Needed
Jayson Tatum spent much of the night easing into the game, but once the Celtics needed him most, he took over. The Boston forward finished with 36 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in a 107-103 win over the Knicks at TD Garden, giving the home crowd the kind of closing stretch it had been waiting for after a slow start.
Boston needed every bit of that second-half surge, especially with New York making it uncomfortable late. Tatum kept answering when the Knicks threatened to flip the game, and Paul George and Neemias Queta chipped in with 15 points apiece to help Boston survive the finish and leave the building with a needed win. [Read more 🡒]
Tatum Just Raised The Stakes In Bostons Jaylen Brown Debate
Jayson Tatum spent part of the conversation trying to cool off the noise around Jaylen Brown, saying he holds no animosity toward his former teammate and pointing to what they accomplished together in Boston. The backdrop is already awkward enough after Brown was moved from the Celtics to the Philadelphia 76ers, and Tatums comments on his YouTube video only added another layer to a storyline that has followed both players into this season.
Browns response on social media, though, suggested he did not exactly buy the framing. Tatum also pushed back on the media narrative surrounding their relationship and the idea that every meeting between their teams has to be read as something bigger, which only makes the next chapter between them more interesting once the schedule brings them together again. [Read more 🡒]