Celtics danger zone was clear as day in first half vs. 76ers

Opening night has finally arrived in Boston. The Celtics are halfway through their matchup against the 76ers, and things aren’t going according to plan. At the break, Philly holds a six-point lead over the Cs.

On a more positive note, Xavier Tillman Sr. looks great so far. He made an early entrance in the opener after Neemias Queta missed an opportunity to grab a rebound. Joe Mazzulla still isn’t playing when it comes to the glass, it seems. Boston’s big men subbed in and out of this first half super often.

Back to Tillman, he’s made an impact since the second he got onto the floor.

Missed shots plagued Celtics chances in first half

Poking the ball away from Joel Embiid and then sprinting the floor for a transition layup is a tremendous tone-setter for a bounce-back year.

After a season of battling knee injuries and watching from the sidelines, Tillman looks rejuvenated. He had a solid preseason, capped off with a game-winner against the Toronto Raptors last week. It’s nice to see him carrying that over into the regular season.

He finished the half with four points and three rebounds, but had his time cut short with three personal fouls.

Speaking of strong starts, Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe looks like the real deal. He hit the ground running in his NBA debut with 14 first-quarter points, including one of the loudest dunks I’ve ever seen in person.

Jaylen Brown’s start looked different than usual. Typically, he’ll come out firing in the first quarter and pile up points early. That’s not how it went tonight, which isn’t necessarily bad. Brown played a more patient, calculated game. He didn’t rush into anything and made sure the ball moved around on the offensive end.

By the end of his full shift in the first quarter, JB already had five points, three assists, and three rebounds -- pretty well-rounded start.

Once the second quarter rolled around, he played far more aggressively, looking for his shot and creating a bit more for himself.

Derrick White has also looked different, just not in the best way. He’s been far more aggressive and willing to fire up shots, but hasn’t had his usual touch from beyond the arc, making just one of his first six attempts. That cold spell has reached the rest of the guards, too, with White, Payton Pritchard, and Anfernee Simons shooting a combined 2-14 from long range.

None of the new additions have been overly impactful to this point. Boucher has probably been the most notable with four points off the bench, including a nice hustle play for a putback.