Thomas leads Celtics to 112-95 season-opening win over 76ers

This was a night for hope and promise and faith.

“We’ve made a lot of phone calls, talking to other teams”, Ainge told CSNNE. Preseason I was shooting the ball extremely high and then got to regular season and kinda [dipped] down. For two years the fans in Boston had been dreaming in vain of a blockbuster trade to match the 2007 acquisitions of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, even as Celtics president Danny Ainge was forced to continue restocking the roster patiently. The draft picks that initially raised frustration last June had been giving way in recent months to an abiding optimism. On one hand, this problem points to the plethora of depth that the Celtics had toward the end of past year which allowed them to make a run at a playoff spot.

At 32, Lee’s the only player on Boston’s roster in his 30s.

Here, Jahlil Okafor drops on the Thomas-Johnson screen, so Thomas discards his defender, probes, and waits for the ideal moment to fire a dart to Johnson.

This day was a homecoming for Sixers coach Brett Brown and Noel.

He finished with 26 points as he had another strong quarter with 12 points in the fourth, but at that point the game was out of reach for the 76ers. “We consider him to be a low-post, force-type player and he can shoot a 16-footer; he can put it to the floor and make moves facing up”.

“He’s got a high motor”, said the coach. The team’s PG situation is indeed dire – Isaiah Canaan was the one Sixer who had an OK game shooting the ball, but he couldn’t penetrate the defense past the three-point line, and went most of the game before registering his first assist. Okafor sank his first five shots whether he was turning around, facing up or driving off the dribble.

“Still just trying to get comfortable”, said Okafor, who looked entirely at ease.

A group of Celtics, looking forlornly into the distance. They sent all sorts of combos Okafor’s way: Jerebko and Johnson, Jerebko and Jae Crowder, Johnson and Jared Sullinger.

The C’s first doubled up on Okafor at the 9:48 mark of the second quarter, when Jonas Jerebko and Amir Johnson trapped him along the baseline. In his absence their halfcourt offense vanished.

I will admit that I’m spoiled growing up in Boston with my sports teams, but why do I want the Celtics to finish just over. Many of those dimes came using screens.

The Celtics drew many lessons of their own with 81 more games to go.

He probably will need many cleansing walks this season and Wednesday night’s 112-95 loss to the Boston Celtics certainly gives him much fodder for which to ponder.

Not only did Okafor become leader in points recorded in a debut game for National Basketball Association Center’s in the last 13 years beating David Robinson’s record of 23, but he became the third most successful debut points scorer in Sixers history, falling short of only Iverson and Stackhouse.

“I just stick with what I know”, Thomas added. Sure, Sullinger had a few help as Stevens quickly opted to start double-teaming Okafor – which he didn’t handle particularly well – but overall Sullinger was very active defensively and the effort was there. Stevens was surprised they had to perform that tactic so early on, saying he “thought we would mix that in later in the game”.

The 6-foot-11, 268-pounder made his first five shots to score 10 of the Sixers’ first 17 points.