Tatum leads Celtics over 76ers in opener
Jayson Tatum had 23 points and nine rebounds, and the Celtics downed Philadelphia 105-87 in Boston on Tuesday night in the season opener for both teams.
Marcus Morris added 16 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Al Horford had nine points and five blocks.
Boston won despite shooting 43 percent (42-for-97) from the field and 30 percent (11for-37) from beyond the threepoint arc. The Celtics’ struggles didn’t dampen the mood inside TD Garden for the return to regular-season action for Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving.
Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Ben Simmons finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists.
Hayward played in his first game since undergoing surgery and more than 10 months of rehabilitation for the gruesome left ankle injury he suffered five minutes into last year’s season opener.
He received an extended ovation from the home crowd during a pregame introduction that included a video montage of his rehab process. Hayward said it was “amazing” to be back out there.
“My adrenaline was pumping those first three or four minutes,” Hayward said. “I think everybody’s adrenaline was pumping. It was sloppy at first. It was great just to be out there. It was a big step for me.”
Irving also was back following two surgeries on his left knee that caused him to miss the end of the regular season and playoffs.
They shot a combined 6for-26. Hayward finished with 10 points and five rebounds in 25 minutes. Irving had seven points and seven assists. League of nations: NBA rosters have players from a record-tying 42 countries and territories to open this season. This is the fifth consecutive season in which all 30 teams have at least one international player on the opening-night roster.
Canada is represented by 11 of the 108 opening-night international players. Australia and France have nine.
The Mavericks have the most international players, seven. Utah and the Clippers have six each. Five teams — Boston, New York, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia and San Antonio — have five. The Warriors have one, forward Jonas Jerebko of Sweden. Still with Wolves: After a relatively light practice, Minnesota head coach Tom Thibodeau said he expects Jimmy Butler to play in Wednesday’s season opener in San Antonio.
Butler practiced only four times with his Minnesota teammates in the preseason as he seeks a trade.
A source said Butler and team owner Glen Taylor talked Sunday, with Taylor promising to continue to work to trade Butler and Butler agreeing to continue to work and play with the Timberwolves. Briefly: WNBA All-Star Kristi Toliver will be an assistant coach for player development for the Wizards this season. Toliver played for the Washington Mystics and helped them reach the WNBA Finals this year, when she also assisted the Wizards’ coaching staff during the NBA Summer League and training camp. She is a 10-year pro and two-time All-Star who won an NCAA title at Maryland . ... The Lakers exercised their contract options for the 2019-20 season on Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart.