Celtics Get Sun Burn, Lose First Game Of Season | Boston Sports Then and Now

It was hard to recognize the Boston Celtics on Friday night as they, uncharacteristically, allowed the Pheonix Suns to score 110 points (57 points at the half), on 50 percent shooting, 54 percent from downtown and only forced 12 turnovers. The Suns were in control from the opening tip. Steve Nash (16 points, 12 assists) showed Boston he is still in the upper echelon of NBA point guards. He distributed the ball perfectly and hit big shots down the stretch. Amare Stoudamire (22 points, 8-13 shooting, 7 rebounds, 1 block shot) has no blurred vision from his season-ending injury last season. He had several monster jams and defended the basket adequately. Stoudemire’s smile was ear to ear in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter when it became apparent the Suns had the victory bagged.