Celtics conduct 76ers off-field and other observations

The 76ers faced the Timberwolves in Iowa on Friday night, leaving all of their top rotation players out. The Celtics host the Raptors on Sunday, so they will likely take a similar approach in this game. But against Philadelphia, the regular rotation players put on their usual show.

Observations from the game:

▪ Al Horford had to sit out the preseason for the third time in a row. Coach Joe Mazzulla insisted that the 38-year-old big man was fully healthy and that the team was just gradually getting him up to speed. However, one can wonder if the Celtics will be similarly cautious with Horford early in the season and fall back on Luke Kornet to start at center while Kristaps Porzingis is out.

For now, Kornet continues to show that he would be a reliable option for Boston. The big man was simply dominant in the first quarter. He converted a putback before fending off consecutive alley-ups from Tatum and Brown. He then scored again on an inside shot and reversed his own miss because he was fouled. Kornet had 11 points in the first five minutes and entered halftime with 15 points and 7 rebounds.

“I’ve been able to play with a lot of these guys for a few years,” Kornet said. “We had a lot of advantages on the pitch today, so it was a bit easier than we probably expected. But yeah, I mean, I think it’s a pretty good solid point or starting point.”

Of course, the Celtics will never expect or need Kornet to score so efficiently, but Mazzulla loves his familiarity and comfort level in the Celtics’ system. He is almost always exactly where he needs to be on both ends of the field.

“He worked really hard this summer and I definitely saw him getting better,” Mazzulla said. “Just his screen reading, his distance detection. He’s one of our best defenders because he can communicate on the fly the different things we do on every single possession. He also has a great understanding of every possession and I think he’s really gotten better offensively so far just through his screening angles and distance recognition. And he keeps getting better.”

▪ Mazzulla seemed focused on giving his available starters some longer runs. Tatum, Brown, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White all played the entire first quarter, which almost never happens in the regular season.

▪ Former Celtics big man Guerschon Yabusele started at center for the 76ers and had 8 points and 3 rebounds. The 76ers signed Yabusele in August after his breakthrough performance for France at the Summer Olympics. Yabusele was selected by Boston with the 16th pick of the 2016 draft but has played overseas since 2019.

“It’s been five years and when the summer came, of course I was expecting to get a call, but that just made me work harder, keep pushing and never give up,” Yabusele said. “And every time I came back to my team I thought, ‘I have to do more.’ So it was just a long process, but I think it was much needed. I’m a different player now, I understand things better and I just keep pushing.”

Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said Yabusele’s ability to go beyond the 3-point line should help free up space for the team’s dynamic stars, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. He practiced two 3-point shots in the first quarter.

Yabusele provided the highlight of the summer when he raced down the lane and threw down a one-handed dunk over LeBron James in the Olympic gold medal game. He appeared to have a similar moment in mind during a first-quarter drive Saturday, but that attempt was thwarted by Sam Hauser.

“We’re still in the early stages with him, trying to figure out exactly where we’re going to need him the most,” Nurse said.

▪ Veteran Lonnie Walker signed a deal with the Celtics last month that will most likely result in him starting in Maine this season, but he remains focused on earning the team’s final roster spot.

He completed his first preseason appearance with the second team and scored 9 points and 7 assists in 25 minutes.

“I made some good reads, did solid defensively and I think I need to pick up on that and recover,” Walker said. “As far as what I can provide to the team is just other ways to impact the win. It’s not just about scoring points. I think everyone knows I can score. The shot we can get by executing against the defense is the most important thing.”

Hauser and Payton Pritchard remained combustible from beyond the arc. Hauser was 5-6 and 10-17 this preseason, while Pritchard was 3-7 and 11-22. Most of their threes came along with each other on the floor, forcing the opposing defense to make some difficult decisions.

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.