Jaylen Brown starts for Celtics in season opener vs 76ers

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BOSTON (AP) — Celtics star Jaylen Brown was in the starting lineup for Boston's season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night, a week after leaving the team's exhibition finale with a strained left hamstring.

Brown was listed as questionable on Tuesday, then upgraded to available about an hour before tipoff.

A four-time All-Star who was the NBA Finals MVP when the Celtics won the championship two years ago, Brown averaged 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists last season. He will be even more important to the team with Jayson Tatum expected to miss most of this season recovering from a ruptured right Achilles tendon.

Boston also traded away key pieces of its 2024 title team, including Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, to avoid the penalties of the second luxury tax apron. Veteran big men Al Horford and Luke Kornet are also gone.

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