Last year, the Celtics followed a 4-1 preseason record with a 64-18 regular season and a dominant 16-3 in the playoffs to eventually raise Banner 18.
But that’s all in the past now.
A thunderous dunk in the second quarter seemed to indicate two things at once. The Celtics will get their rings on Opening Night on October 22, but Jaylen Brown seemed to simultaneously slam the door on last year’s championship and sound the starting gun on the 2024-2025 campaign.
“We’re definitely getting back in season form, just finding that continuity again,” Brown said.
Like the team, Brown’s start to the new year came in fits and starts. He finished with 8 points and two assists and he knows there’s still plenty of work before the games start to matter. And it’s not just about him. Despite winning Eastern Conference Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP, Brown emphasized that basketball is played five-on-five and credited the second and third units to finding a way to win in the end.
“We had some good spots defensively. We made some good plays. Offensively, we got some good looks. Some of them didn’t go down because [we’re] getting used to running up and down the court and playing against competition, etc.,” Brown said. “There’s a lot of excitement here in Abu Dhabi as well, so I think the next game, we’ll be better. Just keep building great habits. It’s going to be the key for all preseason and just keep winning each day, winning one day at a time.”
The Celtics and Nuggets will wrap up their Global Games exhibition tomorrow morning at 7 am EST.
