Losing the first game of the season is never a good feeling, but in the Boston Celtics' case, not only did they do that, but they blew a 22-point lead in what could have been a statement game against the Detroit Pistons.
No, it doesn't feel great, especially knowing that Jayson Tatum's struggles factored into the loss, which further fueled the toxic narratives about him (seriously, guys, he had one bad game, so can we calm down?). But there were good reasons to be optimistic.
They still came within inches of beating the No. 1 seed in the East last year, and Paul George looked spectacular. However, we have now seen a silver lining: the Philadelphia 76ers just completed an even bigger comeback against another Eastern Conference power, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
At one point, the Sixers were down by as many as 29 points to the Cavaliers. By halftime, it was looking grim, but like the Pistons the other day, the Sixers licked their wounds, got back up, and punched the Cavaliers right in the mouth, fueling not only an impressive comeback but also pulling off the win.
And they did this the night after Miami got humiliated by Minnesota, so can we breathe now, Boston? It's proof that no lead is safe, especially when going up against a team in a similar tier. Times like these, even if it's the Sixers, make it easier to stomach when the Celtics lose in the fashion that they did to the Pistons.
The final result sucks, but at least it's more understandable when other teams do the same.
East titans matchups should be cinema
Boston and Detroit were an epic matchup on opening day. The Celtics threw the first punch, but the Pistons punched back. The Cavaliers did the same to the Sixers, and history repeated itself. Besides the fact that Boston can feel a little better about Cleveland blowing an even worse lead, it also shows that matchups like these should be quite fun to watch in real time.
They prove that from the jump, these teams are good and will be ready to throw their best punches at one another. It also shows that as impressive as 20- or more-point leads are, they gotta finish the game. You can knock the Pistons and Sixers down, but they still won't go out.
It's a long season, guys. Days like opening day happen no matter how hard they are to stomach. They won't happen every game, but the early data shows that the Celtics have a major challenge ahead. Luckily, they should be able to embrace said challenge.
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