Deep-diving into the last half-decade of Boston Celtics season openers

Tip-off for the 2023-24 NBA season is almost here, so what better time to take a look back on the last half-decade of season-opening games for the Boston Celtics?

October 16th, 2018: Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden

Opening day of the 2018-19 season saw the Celtics face off against one of their most formidable rivals, the 76ers. It’s almost hard to believe how time has flown since Kyrie Irving led the charge alongside the young, dynamic duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, a combination that proved its worth in this memorable season opener

Starting lineups

Boston Celtics

• Kyrie Irving
• Jaylen Brown
• Gordon Hayward
• Jayson Tatum
• Al Horford

Philadelphia 76ers

• Ben Simmons
• Markelle Fultz
• Robert Covington
• Dario Saric
• Joel Embiid

The game finished 105-87 to the Celtics, kicking off their 49-win season. Kyrie Irving struggled through a challenging night with shooting beyond the arc, shooting 1/8, and tallied just seven points. However, Kyrie’s unselfish playmaking was a standout feature of this game, as he recorded seven assists, enabling his teammates to shine. Leading the scoring charge was Jayson Tatum with 23 points, followed by Jaylen Browns’ contribution of 12 points, Gordon Hayward adding 10, and Marcus Morris providing a valuable 16 points off the bench. Although Kyrie wasn’t shooting the ball well in this season opener, his facilitating was enough to see Boston walk away with the win.

Three players from the 76ers dominated their side of the box score with Embiid finishing the game with a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds, and Ben Simmons finishing within two assists away from getting a triple-double with 19 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists. Off the bench, JJ Redick made a significant impact as the 76ers’ third-highest scorer, contributing 16 points. However, despite the fact that they all had great individual performances, none of the 76ers’ players managed to finish the game with a positive plus-minus (+/-) rating, which was a reflection of the final score.

In this game, Jayson Tatum showcased why he was a steal as the third pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, while Markelle Fultz was chosen as the 1st overall pick by Philadelphia, and Lonzo Ball was selected second by the LA Lakers. A fact that was solidified more as the years went on. Surely both the Lakers and 76ers look back at their draft choices with a slight sprinkle of regret.

Overall, these two sides would meet four times during the regular season, with three wins going in Celtics’ favor. Could the 76ers do any better against the Celtics the following season?

Final Score: Boston Celtics 105-87 Philadelphia 76ers

October 23rd, 2019: Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center

Yet again these two Eastern Conference heavyweights locked horns for the opening day of their respective seasons. Would Celtics get the upper hand again or would Philadelphia come out swinging to start their 2019-20 campaign?

Starting lineups

Boston Celtics

• Kemba Walker
• Jaylen Brown
• Gordon Hayward
• Jayson Tatum
• Enes Freedom

Philadelphia 76ers

• Ben Simmons
• Josh Richardson
• Tobias Harris
• Al Horford
• Joel Embiid

With a new look starting five from both organizations, the season tip-off was a heavily anticipated rematch, with the 76ers looking for redemption after a 1-3 year against the Boston Celtics.

In the wake of Kyrie Irving’s departure to the Brooklyn Nets in July 2019, the Boston Celtics swiftly moved to fill the void at the point guard position by acquiring former Charlotte Hornets All-Star, Kemba Walker. Celtics fans had been left with a bitter taste in their mouths after the Kyrie saga, and the question on everyone’s mind was whether Kemba could step up to the challenge. Well, In this season’s opener, Kemba made his presence felt by contributing 12 points, outperforming Kyrie’s seven points in the previous season’s opener – but filling his shoes long-term was the real question on everyone’s mind.

This game saw Tatum and Hayward combine for an impressive 46 points, shared at 21 and 25 respectively. Sadly for Boston fans, their performances wouldn’t be enough to secure the win on this opening day as all of Philadelphia’s starters impressively scored more than 15 points. Ben Simmons once again flirted with a triple-double, recording 24 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists, making a significant impact for the 76ers. The rest of Philadelphia shot the ball well with Richardson putting up 17 points, Horford with 16, and Embiid and Harris matching each other’s scoring output with 15 a piece.

Philadelphia would end the regular season 3-1 against the Celtics, but a first-round match-up in the Eastern Conference Finals was on the cards. When that time came, it was the Celtics who had the last laugh as they executed a stunning 4-0 sweep against their Eastern rivals, solidifying their dominance and healing the wounds of the regular season matchups.

Final Score: Boston Celtics 93-107 Philadelphia 76ers

December 23rd, 2020: Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks at TD Garden

A new opponent for Boston on the opening day of the 2020-21 season, but the objective remained the same – start the season 1-0.

Starting lineups

Boston Celtics

• Marcus Smart
• Jaylen Brown
• Jayson Tatum
• Daniel Theis
• Tristan Thompson

Milwaukee Bucks

• Jrue Holiday
• Donte DiVincenzo
• Khris Middleton
• Giannis Antetokounmpo
• Brook Lopez

With a late start to the 2020-21 season, NBA fans were hungry for some world-class basketball, and in the opening game for the Celtics and Bucks, they certainly got the fix they were craving. The box score alone reveals how entertaining this opening game truly was, with a high-scoring output from both organizations. On the Celtics side, Brown scored 33, Tatum 30, Jeff Teague 19, and Tristan Thompson with 12. The Bucks’ scoring was, I have to admit, equally as impressive with 35 points from Giannis, 27 from Middleton, 25 from Holiday, and 15 from DiVincenzo. But would that be enough for the Bucks to clinch the victory?

That brings me to the stand-out moment from this game – the conclusion – with the Celtics down by 1 and 8.9 seconds remaining on the clock. Thankfully, Boston had the same thoughts as the fans did, which was to give the ball to Tatum – and I’m so thankful that they did.

Even though he was being guarded by the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Tatum made this game-winner look easy. Definitely worth watching again (and again, and again, like I just did).

This wouldn’t be the only victory for the Celtics as they would eventually face the Bucks in three games during the regular season, boasting two wins in three matchups with the eventual NBA Champions.

Final Score: Boston Celtics 122-120 Milwaukee Bucks

October 20th, 2021: Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden

From one high-scoring season opener to another, this clash between the Celtics and the Knicks had everything NBA fans could ever want from an opening game.

Starting lineups

Boston Celtics

• Marcus Smart
• Jaylen Brown
• Jayson Tatum
• Grant Williams
• Robert Williams

New York Knicks

• Kemba Walker
• RJ Barrett
• Evan Fournier
• Julius Randle
• Mitchell Robinson

Who doesn’t love a tightly contested game of basketball with high scoring, double overtime, and clutch 3-pointers? When I say this game had everything, I mean it had EVERYTHING. Brown led the offense for the Celtics, scoring 46 Points – the most ever from a Boston Celtic on an opening day. Browns offensive went head-to-head with Randles and Fourniers as they scored 35 and 32 points respectively.

As the game approached its apparent conclusion, the Celtics saw themselves down by four with only nine seconds to go, but we all know not to count out the boys from Beantown in these nail-biting moments. I still remember my inability to contain my excitement at this moment and, instead of describing it to you, you’re better off giving it a watch for yourself – it’s worth it.

Both the Celtics and the Knicks couldn’t miss during the overtime minutes, making us all wonder how it would end. Even with that intense end to the fourth quarter, and the elite shooting during both sets of overtime, the game slipped away from the Celtics in the closing seconds of the second overtime. A question then looms: Can Boston get the better of the Knicks in the 2023-24 season opener?

Only time will tell, but I’m feeling optimistic.

Final Score: Boston Celtics 134-138 New York Knicks

October 18th, 2022: Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden

For the third time in five years, the opening day for the Boston Celtics sees them facing an old foe in the form of the Philadelphia 76ers. Can the Celtics go 2-1 over these five opening games?

Starting lineups

Boston Celtics

• Derrick White
• Marcus Smart
• Jaylen Brown
• Jayson Tatum
• Al Horford

Philadelphia 76ers

• Tyrese Maxey
• James Harden
• Tobias Harris
• P.J. Tucker
• Joel Embiid

There is no better way to start your season than a win against your rivals, with 70 points shared equally between your two star players – Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown – being the green icing on the cake. This game truly was the epitome of what an NBA due should be. With 35 points scored a piece for the Jays, the pressure was lightened for the rest of the team, but they still stepped up and had an effective offensive night. Malcolm Brogdon and Grant Williams scored 16 and 15 respectively while Smart put up 14 points and seven assists.

Over on the Philadelphia side, it was the Harden and Embiid show as Harden put up 35 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists while Embiid managed 26 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists. These are undoubtedly impressive numbers, but it wasn’t enough for them to get victory over Boston on this day.

Boston would end the year 3-1 up over the 76ers during their four regular-season matchups, but that wouldn’t be the end of the story for these two Eastern juggernauts as they would clash in the second round of the Eastern Conference Finals. It was an incredible series that went all the way to Game 7 at TD Garden, and after an unbelievable 51 points from Tatum, the Celtics emerged victorious on the day. Boston walked away with the victory overall after winning the series 4-3 and getting the better of our Eastern foes during the regular season as well as the playoffs.

Final Score: Boston Celtics 126-117 Philadelphia 76ers

October 25th, 2023: Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden

With a rematch of the exciting 2021-22 season opener against the Knicks as the first game of the Celtics 2023-24 campaign, it’s easy to get excited. Will this season’s opener at Madison Square Garden live up to the excitement of the unforgettable 2021-22 showdown?

One thing is certain: Celtics fans everywhere are hoping for a victory this time around.