OCTOBER 5•BOSTONGLOBE.COM
With the Celtics in Abu Dhabi, their fans came from all over the world to get a look - The Boston GlobeOlder fans abroad were enchanted by the 1980s Celtics and later passed the affection down to their children. But the modern Celtics have bee...
Game Recap: Celtics outlast Nuggets in preseason opener | NBA.comCeltics guard Payton Pritchard (21 pts) led the way as Boston defeated Denver in a matchup of the 2 most recent championship clubs.
OCTOBER 4•NBA.COM
Payton Pritchard - Scores game-high 21 pointsPritchard finished with 21 points (6-13 FG, 6-12 3Pt, 3-4 FT), four rebounds and six assists across 25 minutes in Friday's 107-103 preseason win over the Nuggets.
ImpactThere's no question Pritchard made the most of his opportunity in this preseason opener, carrying the Celtics in scoring and showing he's ready to handle a bigger role off the bench if called upon duty. Pritchard averaged a career-high 9.6 points per game in 2023-24 while making 38.5 percent of his threes, so he should be a reliable weapon off the bench for Boston, though his fantasy upside will be minimal if he continues to play almost exclusively off the bench.
OCTOBER 4•ROTOWIRE
Jayson Tatum - Scores 12 points FridayTatum notched 12 points (4-11 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 1-2 FT), six rebounds and five assists across 20 minutes in Friday's 107-103 preseason win over the Nuggets.
ImpactLuke Kornet was the only starter who reached the 20-minute mark in this preseason opener, but when he was out there, Tatum was the clear focal point of the Celtics' offense. That shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, as Tatum has been one of the most consistent performers in the league over the last few years and is a key cog in Boston's offensive scheme. The final shooting line wasn't pretty, but preseason stats shouldn't matter much. Expect Tatum to be a man on a mission as he aims to lead the Celtics to a second consecutive NBA title in 2024-25.
OCTOBER 4•ROTOWIRE
Luke Kornet - Active in preseason openerKornet scored six points (3-5 FG) while adding 11 rebounds, three assists and a steal across 22 minutes in Friday's 107-103 preseason win over the Nuggets.
ImpactThe big man was tied for the team's lead in the plus/minus department with plus-12, and he made his presence felt on both ends of the court, particularly as a rebounding threat and a passing option in the post. Al Horford will open the season as the starting center while Kristaps Porzingis (foot) works in his recovery, but don't rule Kornet emerging as a realistic option for the backup role ahead of other options such as Xavier Tillman and Neemias Queta.
OCTOBER 4•ROTOWIRE
Russell Westbrook - Solid in preseason debutWestbrook delivered 12 points (3-10 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 3-4 FT), four rebounds and eight assists across 19 minutes off the bench in Friday's 107-103 preseason loss to the Celtics.
ImpactThe shooting line wasn't good, but Westbrook racked up stats left and right while seeing a decent amount of minutes -- compared to the starters -- in this preseason opener. The veteran is expected to open the season as Jamal Murray's primary backup and main second-unit scoring threat, but don't be surprised if he sees a decent run with the first unit as well, particularly when closing out games.
OCTOBER 4•ROTOWIRE
Jamal Murray - Looks rusty in preseason openerMurray recorded three points (1-4 FG, 1-3 3Pt), a rebound, two assists and two steals across 16 minutes in Friday's 107-103 preseason loss to the Celtics.
ImpactHead coach Mike Malone had already declared Murray would be among the starters who would have a reduced workload during Friday's preseason opener, so it wasn't surprising to see him log 16 minutes, as no starter reached the 20-minute mark. That said, Murray looked rusty and struggled to make an impact on both ends of the court. Murray should continue to ramp up in the preseason, and fantasy managers shouldn't have any reason to worry about him ahead of the 2024-25 regular season.
OCTOBER 4•ROTOWIRE
