76ers vs. Celtics: Jayson Tatum’s Dominance Fueled by Warriors

The Sixers-Celtics opener might've meant more to Jayson Tatum more than anybody.

Jayson Tatum felt he had something to prove on Tuesday night. That’s tough to imagine considering the 24-year-old three-time All-Star is coming off of a fantastic playoff run from last season.

But that’s the point. The Celtics entered the playoffs as the second-seed in the Eastern Conference last year and worked their way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they met with the Miami Heat.

Seven games later, the Celtics were victorious, and Finals bound. Unfortunately, the playoff run didn’t result in another championship banner getting hung up in the rafters at TD Garden.

The Celtics had the opportunity to open up the 2022-2023 NBA season with a matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers — but they were the openers to the main event — a matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the World Champions, the Golden State Warriors.

And for that, Tatum went into Tuesday’s matchup against the Sixers with a chip on his shoulder.

“Tough summer .. everywhere I went, somebody mentioned good job in the Finals, next year, you guys did well. They meant in a good way, but it’s just a reminder that we lost .. it’s opening night, one team is getting a ring and we’re not. That kind of kept me up last night” (via Bob Manning)

Tatum’s energy against the Sixers on Tuesday spoke volumes. After a distraction-filled offseason coming off the toughest series loss in his career, Tatum wanted to remind the Eastern Conference that the Celtics aren’t coming down from the top of the ladder.

In 38 minutes on the floor, Tatum put up 20 shots from the field and seven attempts from beyond the arc. By knocking down 65 percent of his attempts, Tatum collected 35 points. He also secured the double-double by coming down with 12 rebounds.

Tatum led the charge alongside Jaylen Brown to take down the Sixers 126-117. While the 76ers mentioned they wouldn’t use Tuesday’s game as a measuring stick to find out how they match up against other East contenders as it’s just game one of 82, the Celtics went in with a different intensity, as they put the conference on notice. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.