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Danny Green of the Philadelphia 76ers intercepted Jeff Teague of the Boston Celtics in the first quarter.
Without playmaker Kemba Walker, the coach of Boston Celtics, Brad Stevens, will have to rely on other guys to lead the veterans in his backyard.
Marcus Smart, the longest serving member of the Celtics, will undoubtedly take on more responsibility at both ends of the court. When Celtics president Danny Ainge signed an 11-year assailant, Jeff Teague, for a one-year contract to play in Boston, it finally gave Stevens what he wanted. What he had been looking for for years as head coach of the NBA – a kind of secondary striker who could keep opponents at bay while his regulars took a break.
Teague played that role in the 108-99 defeat of the Celts of the 76ers on Tuesday night. After being inserted halfway through the first quarter, Jeff scored two 3’s in the second quarter when he sunk two 3’s in less than a minute to reduce the Sixers’ first double digits to eight points (25-33).
Brad Stevens on Jeff Teague kick-off: – We watched Jeff with the greatest strength when he was in the game– We watched Jeff with the greatest strength when he was in the game.
Then, just before halftime, Jeff hit his third basket in a row – he kicked a 7-2 run to close the half and bring Boston back to six points (50-44).
He bought us baskets that were as easy as pushing the ball on the ground; it didn’t look like he was sweating, Stevens explained. Sometimes it was him, sometimes it was others. But in reality, for the first 30 minutes, it felt like the only time the ball moved as it was supposed to, when it was in play. We need to get better if we don’t have it. So we need to get better with today’s movies and gambling.
I thought the first group had a few chances every half, but we seemed most consistent in attacking when Jeff was in the game.
Jeff Teague in Boston Celtics’ first preseason game: Once we have another one under the belt, everything will be fine
Teague was Stevens’ undisputed top scorer in the first pre-season tune-up of the Celtics on Tuesday. He scored 18 points on 7 out of 9 attempts, including a perfect 4 out of 4 from a distance in the 19th. Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.
Yet at 32, Jeff has been in the NBA long enough to know that the Celtics still have a long way to go to reach their full potential. However, Teague is convinced that he and his teammates will soon get used to each other and that the chemistry will develop.
They saw we needed a little adjustment tonight, Teague said Tuesday night. It is clear that we can do much better, but we have improved a bit in the second half of the year by being united and consistent. We had a hard time in the first half, but I think if we get another one, we’ll be fine.
The Celtics will play their second and final preseason game Friday night against the Brooklyn Nets in the TD Garden.
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