BOSTON — Evan Turner and Brandon Bass scored 15 points apiece, and the Boston Celtics outscored the Philadelphia 76ers 21-5 over the first 7 minutes of the fourth quarter in a 98-78 victory Monday night in the preseason opener for both teams.
Turner, who signed a two-year contract with the Celtics during the offseason, also had 10 rebounds and six assists, and Bass pulled down eight boards.
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celtics in portland
who: Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics
what: Exhibition game
when: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15
where: Cross Insurance Arena
Television: CSN
Philadelphia rookie center Nerlens Noel, the No. 6 pick in the 2013 draft, finally made his pro debut after missing last season with knee surgery.
He started and had four points and six rebounds in 27 minutes. He was 2 for 9 from the floor and fouled out with 4:28 left. He also picked up a technical foul in the fourth quarter.
Rookie Marcus Smart, the sixth pick in the draft, started and played 27 minutes with two points, six assists, three steals, three rebounds and a blocked shot for the Celtics.
Both teams were missing their point guards.
Boston’s Rajon Rondo is recovering from a broken hand and Philadelphia’s Michael Carter-Williams is rehabbing offseason shoulder surgery. Also, Boston’s Jeff Green was out with a minor calf injury.
Kelly Olynyk scored 13 of his 14 points in the second half, including five straight to start the fourth-quarter run. Marcus Thornton also had 14, and Jared Sullinger added 10 points – on 4-of-15 shooting – and 13 rebounds.
Tony Wroten led the Sixers, who turned the ball over 28 times, with 19 points, six rebounds and five assists. Hollis Thompson added 15 points and Arnett Moultrie had 12 points and six rebounds.
NBA PLAYER salaries and owner profits are expected to skyrocket after the league announced a new media rights extension with partners ESPN/ABC/Disney and TNT/Turner Broadcasting that will nearly triple annual revenue from $930 million to $2.67 billion through 2025.
The deal will be worth $24 billion, according to the New York Times, over the next nine years and take effect after the 2015-16 season.
The league’s current contract with Disney is worth $485 million per year, while Turner shelled out $445 million. How the two companies will divide the spending for the next deal has yet to be reported.
The massive infusion of money will have a ripple effect both within the NBA and throughout the sports world, but the primary impact will be felt on player salaries and free agency.
Teams, players and their agents have been anticipating the explosion for some time.
LeBron James was eligible for a four-year, $88 million contract when he decided to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers but elected to sign a two-year deal – with an opt-out clause after the first year – with the expectation that his maximum contract would be substantially larger with a new, more lucrative broadcast deal in place by 2016.
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