BOSTON -- One season after having one of the most anemic offenses in the league, the Boston Celtics put eight players in double figures, shot 55.7 percent from the floor, owned as much as a 29-point lead and emerged with a decisive 121-105 triumph over the Brooklyn Nets in their season opener on Wednesday night at TD Garden.
Box score | Play by Play | Shot Chart
• Stat of the game: Boston shot a blistering 61.4 percent (27 of 44) in the first half and all 10 players that touched the floor scored as the Celtics led 67-41 at the intermission. Rajon Rondo had nine assists at intermission and was a plus-22 over 17 minutes.
• Near triple-double of the game: Rondo, starting the season less than five weeks after surgery on a fractured hand, flirted with his 30th career triple-double. He finished with 13 points, 12 assists and 7 rebounds over 30 minutes.
• Gesture of the game: The Celtics honored Isaiah Austin as a Hero Among Us, presenting him with a No. 21 jersey and naming him an honorary Celtic for life. Austin, who was forced to remove himself from the NBA draft this year, was on hand as a spokesman for The Marfan Foundation, bringing awareness to a life-threatening genetic disorder of the body’s connective tissue.
• Awkward moment of the game: With the Celtics up 17 with under three minutes to play, their famed Gino Time clip ran on the videoboard. It used to be a personal favorite of Kevin Garnett, who was on the opposite bench -- and didn't look up -- as it rolled.
• What it means: The Celtics are 1-0, but a daunting November slate loaded with legitimate contenders awaits to show this team exactly where it stands. Boston will take a couple of days to savor the win before visiting the Houston Rockets on Saturday night.