The Boston Celtics traveled to Memphis to tackle the Grizzlies in Recreation #1 of the 2025-26 NBA preseason. With a forged of latest faces, Boston’s new period began out robust, as they outworked and outplayed the hometown Grizz to prevail 121-101. Jaylen Brown had 21 factors in simply 20 minutes on the evening and sat your entire second half, Derrick White had 16 factors and 10 assists in the place to begin guard place.
The brand new look Celtics opened the sport with a beginning 5 of Brown, White, Hauser, Boucher, and Tillman. Neemias Queta was not out there for the conflict in Memphis, following his nationwide group commitments for Portugal on the EuroCup event. Pritchard and Simons would even be rested for this preseason opener. Memphis would begin the sport with Small, Wells, Aldama, rookie Coward, and large man Lovering. Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Zach Edey, Jock Landale, and Brandon Clarke wouldn’t be out there for the house group as a result of varied illnesses.
Derrick White scored the primary factors of the sport for Boston and instantly picked up the defensive task with full-court stress on the ball. Brown took on Wells and transformed on his first discipline purpose try, earlier than back-to-back triples from White and Hauser as Boston took an early 10-9 lead. Brown hit on a long-range three as Wells sagged off, Boston capturing the ball nicely early on, going 3-4 from three.
Garza and Walsh can be the primary Celtics off the bench for Coach Mazzulla as Boucher and Tillman bought an early relaxation. Garza wasted no time getting in on the motion, chasing down an extended rebound and dishing to White, who then skipped a cross to Hauser for his second three-pointer of the sport. Brown was cooking early with 11 first-quarter factors after simply six minutes, as Boston’s tempo was very quick to begin the sport.
Jordan Walsh scored a fast break dunk on his preliminary shot try, extending Boston’s first quarter result in 9 factors, 27-18. Minott and Scheierman entered the sport late within the first quarter, and Minott had an instantaneous influence as he soared from the wing to dunk in his first factors as a Celtic, timing a nook crash completely on a three-point shot try. A couple of performs later, Josh Minott drove and linked on a nifty layup as Boston went up 35-22. Boston ended the quarter capturing a blistering 55% from the sector on the FedEx Discussion board.
Scheierman bought going to begin the second quarter, nailing a really deep three-pointer on his first shot try. Spanish rookie Hugo Gonzalez began the second quarter for Boston and had a nasty block on fellow rookie Coward. In what was a really entertaining stretch, Minott, Gonzalez, Scheierman, Boucher, and White lifted the tempo, managing to show over the Grizz and get a number of stops and go up by 20 factors.
Jaylen Brown returned to the sport on the seven-minute mark of the quarter and instantly hit on a mid-range jumper. Hugo Gonzalez drained his first three-pointer of the evening after Sam Hauser drove and dished to the rook. Sammy Hauser swished his third three of the evening, a fast catch and shoot, as Derrick White inbounded for his seventh help of the evening. White’s eighth help on the evening got here as he discovered Minott, who was vast open below the basket for a reverse dunk.
Boston was rolling to finish the second quarter, as Minott and Tillman mixed for a slick alley-oop play, the previous Grizzlie skied for a one-handed dunk. Jaylen Brown headed to the change rooms on the half with 21 factors, and Hauser and White had 9 factors every, as Boston took at 68-45 lead.
Minott continued his good hustle play to begin the third quarter, nabbing a fourth offensive board on the evening, displaying followers some good early indicators. Chris Boucher picked up his play within the second half and transformed on consecutive discipline objectives for Boston. Memphis was fairly rusty on the evening and registered back-to-back offensive fouls within the act of setting screens. Derrick White can be subbed out on the six-minute mark of the second, an early evening for Boston, sitting with 16 factors and 10 assists, becoming a member of Jaylen Brown on the bench for the rest of the sport.
On the five-minute mark of the third, Hugo Gonzalez stole the ball at half court docket and drove and dunked residence an emphatic one-handed jam. The remaining minutes of the third quarter have been all Boston, because the Celtics’ new run-and-gun fashion was on full show. Ron Harper Jr. noticed a while from the bench within the third as he was a part of a lineup that included Gonzalez, Boucher, Scheierman, and Garza. Ron Harper Jr. hit his first three-pointer of the evening because the third quarter expired, with Boston up 99-72 heading into the fourth.
Eleven gamers scored for Boston after three quarters because the Celtics teaching employees bought prolonged appears to be like at completely different lineups. Gonzalez had a phenomenal chase down block on Javon Small to begin the fourth quarter, however the rookie continues to be adjusting to the tempo of the NBA, as he additionally recorded his third turnover of the sport.
With round 8 minutes to go within the recreation, Coach Mazzulla had each Bridges and Harper Jr. within the recreation. Rookie Amari Williams and Kendall Brown additionally noticed the ultimate 5 minutes of motion on the highway for Boston. Memphis did go on a small scoring run to cut back the Boston lead, however this recreation wasn’t shut all evening. Boston’s ultimate choose within the 2025 draft, guard Max Shulga additionally entered the sport with two minutes remaining, he joined RJ Luiz Jr. within the lineup to shut issues out.
Boston subsequent face the Toronto Raptors on the highway on Friday evening earlier than heading residence for a two-game residence stand. Boston’s first common season recreation is on October twenty second in opposition to the Philadelphia 76ers.
