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Celtics Open Preseason With Overseas Win Against Olimpia Milano

BOSTON (CBS) -- The Boston Celtics tipped off their preseason Tuesday with a big win overseas.

The Celtics opened their seven-game preseason slate with a 124-91 victory over Olimpia Milano at the Mediolanum Forum in Milan, Italy.

Boston's offensive attack was led by guard Isaiah Thomas, who put in 18 points in 20:48 off the bench. He shot 5-for-10 from the field, going 1-for-4 from three-point range and a perfect 7-for-7 at the free throw line.

Second-year point guard Marcus Smart had 11 points and six assists in his 21+ minutes of play, while newcomer David Lee was impressive with 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting and seven rebounds.

David-Lee
Celtics forward David Lee scored 13 points and had seven rebounds in Boston's preseason opener against Olimpia Milano at the Mediolanum Forum in Milan, Italy.(Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

In all, 14 of the 15 Celtics who saw the floor scored points, with the team dishing out 31 assists on 46 buckets.

Celtics head coach Brad Stevens has warned the media not to read too much into his starting lineups and rotations during the overseas trip. But for Tuesday's preseason opener, Stevens went with a starting five of Smart-Avery Bradley-Jae Crowder-Lee- Tyler Zeller. Bradley chipped in with 14 points in 19 minutes, hitting all four of his three-point attempts. Zeller had nine points in just under 14 minutes of play.

Kelly Olynyk and newcomer Amir Johnson were the first two bigs off the bench for Boston. Johnson, signed to a two-year deal in the offseason, played some impressive defense in the pain, and finished with six points and five rebounds.

Fourth-year power forward Jared Sullinger didn't check in until the second quarter but made the most of his 15:27 on the floor. He put in 14 points on 7-for-10 shooting, attempting just one three-pointer, while pulling down four rebounds -- all offensive.

Real Madrid is next up for Boston on their European vacation with another afternoon affair on Thursday. Their first preseason game against an NBA opponent comes next Wednesday against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center.

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