Boston Celtics 93 Philadelphia 76ers 65
October 6, 2010
Verizon Wireless Arena – Manchester, NH
Going into the Celtics first preseason game tonight in Manchester, NH if you asked me what the chances were that Semih Erden would headline my postgame recap, I probably would have told you somewhere between 0-5%. After getting my first good glimpse of Semih in the FIBA World Championships, I wasn’t convinced that his talents would carry over well to the NBA game.
If tonight is any example of how he’s going to play in the NBA, I’ll be the first to admit I was wrong.
Erden quickly became a fan favorite in Manchester and all over Celtics Nation tonight by dropping in thirteen points in just over twenty-three minutes of play. Erden showed the fans in attendance, and those watching on TV that he is in the NBA for a reason. The guy can play basketball. He showed tonight that he has great hands, a great basketball IQ, and great movement for a seven-footer.
Another guy who looked very good tonight was Ray Allen. Multiple reports coming out of training camp stated that Ray was in great shape, and it showed tonight. Since Game 2 of the NBA Finals last season Ray had struggled to knock down the shots he’s used to making. Needless to say, he didn’t struggle tonight. Ray went 2-3 from behind the arc and 6-9 from the field for 14 points, the most for any Celtics player tonight.
The night started off with a bang for the Celtics, as they quickly took advantage of the undermanned 76ers squad, who were without their star Andre Iguodala, Andres Nocioni, and the oft injured Elton Brand. A 12-2 run opened the game for the Celtics and they never looked back, holding the 76ers to 22 points in the first half.
The guys in the home white jersey’s went into halftime with a 49-22 advantage.
As you could expect, the second half saw very little from the starters and a lot from guys fighting for a role (or spot) on the team. Stephen Lasme took advantage of his time on the court, using his very athletic talents to score 12 points in just over four minutes. This type of performance could make the battle for the 15th spot a lot closer, especially considering the lack of production and overall effectiveness of Von Wafer when he was in the game.
In case you were wondering about Shaq. He looked very good in his first game in a Celtics uniform, he scored eight points in just over 15 minutes of action. His first free throw attempts as a member of the Celtics didn’t turn out to great however, he missed on both attempts.
That may be the only negative for the Celtics during tonight’s game, though. It is only preseason, and it is only the 76ers, but the Celtics did exactly what they had to and should have done. Next up, tomorrow night the Celtics will head to New Jersey for their second preseason game of the season against the Nets.
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