celtics

Victor Wembanyama starred on his NBA play-off debut as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Portland Trail Blazers 111-98.

Wembanyama, one of three contenders for the Most Valuable Player award, scored a game-high 35 points, including 21 in the first half, as the Spurs won game one of the best-of-seven series.

“It’s good to get this one out of the way,” the Frenchman said. “We just tried to do the things we’ve been doing all year and stay solid.

“There was pressure on us to win the first game, but it wasn’t that much pressure if we just stayed to the plan.”

Elsewhere, defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder and the Boston Celtics both made dominant starts to the post-season.

The Thunder – the number one seeds in the Western Conference – thrashed the Phoenix Suns 119-84, led by last year’s Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who had 25 points, seven assists and four rebounds.

Jayson Tatum scored 25 points with 11 rebounds and seven assists – and Jaylen Brown added 26 points – as the second-seeded Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 123-91.

Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic stunned Eastern Conference top seeds Detroit Pistons 112-101 to take a 1-0 lead in their seven-game series.

Victory for the eighth-seeded Magic, who qualified for the play-offs via the play-in tournament, extends an unwelcome NBA record for the Pistons, who have not won a post-season game at home for 11 matches dating back to 2008.

Forward Paolo Banchero starred with 23 points, nine rebounds and four assists, to help the Magic overshadow Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham’s play-off best haul of 39 points.

“[We] didn’t come out with the right energy, gave them life early on,” said Cunningham. “Then we had to deal with that for the rest of the game.

“There’s no confidence drop from us. It’s going to be a long, fun series.”

Celtic have yet to pick up a league point in Dundee this season.

In October, they lost at Dens Park for the first time since 1988, while Dundee United beat them for a second time at Tannadice last time out.

That took the champions’ league defeats to eight, double last term’s total and five more than the campaign before.

By the time Celtic kick off (16:30 BST), Rangers will have hosted Dundee United on Saturday (15:00) and Hearts will have played their game away to Livingston earlier on Sunday (14:00).

“Psychologically, there’s an advantage to playing early if you go and get your results,” O’Neill said. “If you don’t, it opens the way for you.

“I’m hoping that between now and the end of the season, it might work in reverse.

“You just have to try and take care of your own game that you are supposedly in control of.”

O’Neill gave an update on injured players Arne Engels and Julian Araujo.

“It’s a thigh,” O’Neill said of right-back Araujo, who has returned to parent club Bournemouth for treatment. “He’s doing fine in recovery, now. We expect to see him back, hopefully in the not too distant future.

“Arne’s come back now. We’ll see. Each day it’s a good day for him, he’s trained most of the week. We’ll just keep any eye on things at this minute. We couldn’t rule him out or in for Sunday.”