Boston’s preseason game against Philadelphia was a team effort, but the reserves really gave head coach Joe Mazzulla something to chew on. The Celtics crushed the 76ers 144-106 at TD Garden on Saturday night. Payton Pritchard led the charge with 25 points, while rookie Hugo González added 17 and Sam Hauser chipped in with 11. The bench outscored the starters 81-63, helping turn the game into a blowout. It’s just preseason, and Philly was missing some key guys, but Boston showed they’ve got serious scoring depth. That could be huge when the regular season hits and they need to handle minutes, injuries, and tough teams.
Pritchard gave Boston another scoring option with his 25 points, seven assists, and five of eight from three-point land. He can score in a hurry, push the pace, and keep the offense humming without leaning on Jayson Tatum or Paul George every time. Hauser provided familiar spacing, and González turned heads by hitting all four of his threes for 17 points. It’s early, but that kind of performance makes you want to keep an eye on him.
The Celtics also dominated the boards, winning the rebounding battle 70-41. Neemias Queta pulled down 10 rebounds, Luka Garza added seven, and Mitchell Robinson, in his first game for Boston, had six points and five rebounds in limited minutes. The spread of contributions is what matters here—veterans scoring, a rookie stepping up, and big men grabbing boards. The rotation is still coming together, but Saturday showed Boston can keep the pressure on even when the stars sit.
Boston won’t face Philly again until their preseason finale on Friday, October 16. Before that, they’ve got a game against Charlotte on Wednesday to sort things out. González and the bench made sure they’ll be part of that conversation.
