The Boston Celtics finally hit the court in Cleveland after a crazy week of NBA preseason buzz, and they didn’t waste any time making a statement, taking down the Cavaliers 124-113 on the road. Luka Garza absolutely went off, leading the charge with a monster 22 points and 10 boards. What a start to the 2026-27 preseason!
Rookies and New Faces Steal the Show
Man, if you were watching, you saw a totally fresh Celtics squad in action. Devin Carter, a new signing, had a fine debut himself, dropping 17 points, including a sick tomahawk dunk over Watson and a straight-on three. Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman each chipped in 16 points. Scheierman even got Boston’s first points of the game! It wasn’t just the vets, either. Rookie Chris Cenac Jr. came off the bench and immediately slammed home a two-handed dunk, assisted by Scheierman. Another rookie, Milos Uzan, drained a triple from the 45, showing off his stroke. Hugo Gonzalez, another new face, hit a corner three after a nifty pass from veteran debutant Mike Conley. This team is *deep* with new talent, and they were all showing out.
Preseason Action and Anticipation
Head coach Joe Mazulla handed the reins over, with Tony Dobbins coaching the first half and DJ MacCleay taking over for the second. They threw a curveball lineup out there to start: Conley, Scheierman, Gonzalez, Walsh, and Garza. The Cavs, on the other hand, rolled out what looked like their regular season starters with Mobley, Allen, Mitchell, Tyson, and Watson. Cleveland even got an early five-point lead with a ton of fast breaks and offensive boards, showing that early game hustle. But Boston settled in, with Garza hitting his first triple and grabbing a huge offensive rebound to tie things up at 7-7 early on. By the end of the first, Boston had pulled ahead 30-26 after Carter’s three. What a statement from a team with so many new faces getting a chance to shine!
This was just Game 1 of the preseason, but it gave everyone a taste of what’s coming. We saw some incredible flashes from the rookies and new additions, and a dominant performance from Garza. The only bummer was seeing Paul George in street clothes, chilling on the bench alongside Tatum, White, Pritchard, Robinson, Hauser, and Harper Jr. You know C’s fans are absolutely buzzing for PG’s first game. If this is what the new-look Celtics can do *without* half their star power, just imagine what happens when everyone’s on the floor. Get ready!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Celtics Blog.
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