Malcolm Brogdon key to Celtics win over 76ers according to Doc Rivers

BOSTON — On a night where Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 35 points for the Celtics in their season-opening 126-117 win over the Sixers, Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers thought that the key for Boston was actually the play of Malcolm Brogdon.

Making his Celtics debut after an offseason trade from Indiana, Brogdon had 14 points and four assists and was a +9 in the game.

“I thought Brogdon was the most important player in the game tonight,” said Rivers, the former Celtics coach who was still wearing a No. 6 pin to honor Bill Russell during his postgame press conference. “Brogdon kept them alive. He hurt us with his right hand, dribble penetration. That was a frustrating thing to see.”

Coming off the bench, Brogdon filled the second-team leader role the Celtics hoped he’d assume. He checked with 5:10 left in the first quarter for Jayson Tatum. Brogdon had eight of his points in the second quarter, as the Celtics’ erased a five-point deficit after the first quarter to pull even at halftime with some momentum.

“His attack when they needed it. I don’t think Jaylen and Jayson had got it going yet,” James Harden said. “He had 10 points at halftime. Those points right there — our defense wasn’t set and he got easy buckets. That definitely puts them over the top.”

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