Adam Himmelsbach

Jaylen Brown, who turned 28 Thursday, had 27 points to lead the Celtics (2-0). Jayson Tatum added 25 points and 11 rebounds.

Although Walker was signed to a seemingly manageable one-year, $2.6 million deal, the realities of the Celtics’ position above the luxury-tax threshold were too glaring to ignore.

The Celtics are returning almost their entire roster from last season, and they are heavy favorites.

As the Celtics took the floor for their preseason game, about 20 pieces of confetti fell from the rafters and landed on the parquet floor of TD Garden, a reminder of their championship season.

It seemed Abu Dhabi revealed its basketball culture after dark, when recreational sports are more evident and the searing heat is more tolerable.

The Celtics' lead owner sat down with the Globe in Abu Dhabi for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of the franchise following its 18th NBA championship.

In their second preseason game in Abu Dhabi, Jaylen Brown scored 21 points and Jayson Tatum had 17 as Boston easily defeated Denver.

Older fans abroad were enchanted by the 1980s Celtics and later passed the affection down to their children. But the modern Celtics have been so good for the past decade, nostalgia is no longer necessary.

In a comeback win over the Nuggets, the Celtics were 20 of 61 on threes, which would have been a franchise record for attempts in a regular-season game.

The relatively brief stay that includes 13-hour flights and eight-hour time-zone changes has created some unique challenges.