The Boston Celtics overwhelmed the Philadelphia 76ers 123–91 on Sunday, seizing a 1-0 lead in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series at TD Garden.
Boston never trailed, stretching the margin to 35 points and capitalizing on a 22–3 advantage in points off turnovers. Philadelphia missed 19 of 23 three-point attempts, including a 2-for-16 start in the first half.
Key performances
Jayson Tatum paced Boston with 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting, 11 rebounds and seven assists in 32 minutes. The forward is less than a year removed from a torn Achilles tendon and returned to action on Mar. 6.
Jaylen Brown added 26 points, crediting the win to “Celtics basketball” built on defense and effort.
Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey recorded 21 points and eight assists but went 8-for-21 from the field. The 76ers played without All-NBA center Joel Embiid, who is out indefinitely after an emergency appendectomy on Apr. 9.
Historic pattern continues
Since 1982, the longtime Atlantic Division rivals have met six times in the postseason, with Boston winning every series. Sunday’s result moves the Celtics closer to a seventh straight triumph.
Coaches react
“A lot went wrong,” 76ers head coach Nick Nurse said, calling stretches of the game “absolutely unacceptable.”
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla urged his players to expect a sharper Philadelphia effort in Game 2, scheduled for Tuesday night in Boston.
Philadelphia aims to extend the best-of-seven matchup long enough to improve the chances of Embiid’s possible return. To do that, the Sixers will need better perimeter shooting and fewer defensive lapses than they showed in Game 1.
Source: ESPN
