Ainge: “These are my guys”
Some familiar faces from the Boston Celtics recent and not-so-recent past were in attendance at the team’s home opener, a grouping that included Danny Ainge.
Ainge, who retired after this past season as the team’s President of Basketball Operations, was at the game in full-blown fan mode.
“I’m a fan every night,” Ainge told fullcourtpress.bulletin.com. “This is the fun time of year. You put in all the work. You’re ready to play. I don’t feel any different tonight than any other night.
Ainge added, “These are my guys I’ve rooted for, spent a lot of time with.”
In between traveling to see family and friends as well as getting in a few - OK, quite a few - rounds of golf, Ainge is at peace with watching the Celtics from afar and letting his successor, former Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, do a job that Ainge knows all too well.
But the lines of communication with Stevens will always be open, Ainge said.
“We spent a lot of time talking when the transition was happening,” Ainge said. “We talk less now but we still keep in touch. We spent time together in the back talking, and we talked a few days ago. Brad will always be a good friend.”
WELCOME BACK, AL!
The first points scored for the Boston Celtics this season on their home floor came on an Al Horford dunk. Horford, who missed the Celtics’ season opener in New York while being in isolation after testing positive for the COVID-19 virus, had four points and six rebounds at the half. This is Horford’s second tour of duty with Boston, having played for the Green Team (2016-2019).
NO JOSHIN’ AROUND
Horford wasn’t the only Celtic making their season debut on Friday night. Josh Richardson did not play in the season opener against the New York Knicks, according to head coach Ime Udoka, because of a migraine headache.
Richardson, the first player off the Celtics bench against Toronto, had nine points on 3-for-4 shooting which includes making all three of his 3-point attempts in the first half.
TATUM, TAKE 2
After a horrible opening night shooting performance in New York (7-for-30 shooting), you had to know Jayson Tatum would be better at the outset of Friday’s game. Indeed, the two-time All-Star was very much in his bag offensively with an array of shots. Tatum was Boston’s lone double-digit scorer at the half, tallying 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting to go with four rebounds and an assist.
FRIGID SHOOTING CONTINUES FOR VANVLEET
Toronto’s Fred VanVleet missed 15 of his 20 shots from the field in Toronto’s season-opening loss to Washington. He wasn’t much better against Boston, scoring just four points in the first half on 1-for-7 shooting.
KEYS TO WATCH IN THE SECOND HALF
Points in the Paint: The Raptors were very much alive in this game because of their ability to score from point-blank range. At the half, Toronto held a commanding 32-14 advantage on points in the paint.
Second-chance points: Again, the Celtics found themselves on the short-end of this category as well, with the Raptors enjoying a comfortable 10-2 edge in second-chance points.
Three-point shooting: The Celtics weren’t exactly lighting it up from deep range, shooting just 7-for-18 (38.9 percent). But then again, they weren’t as bad as Toronto which missed 13 of their 16 3-point attempts.