Man, what an NBA Opening Night for the Celtics. Jayson Tatum and Paul George led that squad and blew a massive 22-point lead to lose against the Detroit Pistons, which is just a brutal start. But even worse than that gut-punch of a loss was the scare Mitchell Robinson gave everyone in the first half when he visibly rolled his ankle.
The Scare and The Swift Word From Mazzulla
You could feel the collective panic from Celtics fans, myself included, when Robinson went down. He’s supposed to be the key to the Celtics’ whole new identity, right? Brad Stevens and Coach Joe Mazzulla brought him over from the New York Knicks specifically for his offensive rebounding, trying to get Tatum and the crew those crucial extra possessions by cleaning the offensive glass. When he rolled that ankle, everyone was holding their breath, wondering if that vision for the season was already in jeopardy. Thankfully, even after the game wrapped up with that tough 121-113 loss to the Pistons, Coach Mazzulla delivered the news we all needed. According to Noa Dalzell of Celtics Blog, Mazzulla gave a swift, reassuring update: “He’s good to go.” Talk about a relief, even if the result of the game still stung.
Limited Minutes, Big Impact on a Big Loss
Even with Mazzulla’s “he’s good” declaration, the coach clearly practiced caution with his new big man. Robinson only saw 18 minutes on the court against the Pistons. You can see how that limited his overall impact on the game stats: he scored four points, went 1-for-1 from the field, but was 0-for-2 from the free-throw line. He only managed four rebounds, one steal, and two blocks. Honestly, that just wasn’t enough time to really get into a rhythm or show off that rebounding prowess the Celtics are banking on. His limited presence was a huge factor in that 121-113 defeat. Mazzulla couldn’t get those extra possessions off misses, and Neemias Queta’s three points just weren’t enough to fill the void left by the NBA champion big man.
Now, with Mazzulla’s confirmation, all eyes are on the Celtics’ home opener. They’ll be facing the New York Knicks on Friday, and you gotta hope we get to see a lot more of Robinson’s rebounding and overall game then.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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