Game 2 is where the 76ers have to prove Game 1 was just a bad start. The Celtics won the opener 123-91, led 33-18 after the first quarter, and pushed it to 64-37 by halftime. Tuesday’s game starts at 7:00 PM ET at TD Garden.
The opener was not close in any area that usually decides a playoff game. The Celtics shot 51.5% from the field and 42.9% from three. The 76ers shot 38.9% from the field and 17.4% from three. The Celtics also turned 15 76ers turnovers into a 22-3 edge in points off turnovers.
The main scoring lines were clear. Jaylen Brown had 26 points. Jayson Tatum finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists. Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 21 points and 8 assists, while Paul George added 17.
That is the baseline going into Game 2: the Celtics got star production and team offense, while the 76ers got one good Maxey game and not enough else.
Injury Report
Celtics
Ron Harper Jr.: Probable (right ankle sprain)
76ers
Joel Embiid: Out (post appendectomy surgery recovery)
Tyrese Maxey: Available (right finger tendon strain – splint)
Why The Celtics Have The Advantage
The first numbers are from Game 1, and they are enough on their own. The Celtics won by 32, never trailed, and built a 35-point lead. That was not one hot quarter. That was control for almost the entire night. They also held the 76ers to 4-for-23 from three, which means the defense was doing its job on the ball and on the weak side.
The second stat that stands out is the possession margin they created with defense. Fifteen 76ers turnovers became 22 Celtics points. That is the kind of gap that buries an undermanned team quickly. Without Embiid, the 76ers do not have enough easy scoring to survive giving away that many extra possessions.
From a matchup standpoint, the Celtics should keep doing what worked against Maxey. The idea is simple. Put size on him, crowd the lane, and make him see a second defender without fully selling out. Maxey still got 21, but he needed 20 shots to do it, and the offense around him never found a real flow. If the Celtics keep him playing east-west instead of downhill, the 76ers become much easier to guard.
The other clear edge is how the Celtics attacked the back line. Without Embiid, the 76ers had trouble handling rim runs, cuts, and quick second-side actions. Neemias Queta scored 13 points in only 15 minutes, and a lot of that was simple offense around the basket. The Celtics do not need to post him up. They just need him forcing the 76ers’ center rotation to defend the rim and the glass on the same possession.
They also got enough from the support pieces to make the game feel complete, not star-dependent. Sam Hauser scored 12 and hit 4-of-6 from three. Derrick White had 10 points and 6 assists. Payton Pritchard added 12 off the bench. If the 76ers load up harder on Brown and Tatum in Game 2, those are the players who can push the score back open.
Why The 76ers Have The Advantage
The first reason to think this can look better is simple regression. The 76ers shot 17.4% from three and still got 21 from Maxey and 17 from George. It is hard to shoot that poorly again. If the 76ers are just normal from outside, the game should at least stay tighter for longer.
The second point is that the 76ers already showed in the Play-In that they can win a pressure game without Embiid. Against the Magic, Maxey had 31, VJ Edgecombe had 19 points and 11 rebounds, Kelly Oubre Jr. added 19, and Andre Drummond had 14 points and 10 rebounds. So there is a version of this team that can score enough and defend enough to make things uncomfortable. It just did not show up in Game 1.
The 76ers need to get into offense earlier. Too many Game 1 possessions started late, with Maxey seeing a set defense and too much help already waiting. They need more early drag screens, more quick-hit actions for George and Edgecombe, and more possessions where Maxey attacks before the Celtics line up behind the ball. If the game stays slow and methodical, that helps the Celtics.
The other adjustment is on the wing. The 76ers need more from Edgecombe and Oubre as direct scorers, not just connectors. Edgecombe had 13 in Game 1, but his playoff debut against the Celtics on opening night showed a much bigger ceiling. Oubre had only 10 points and 7 rebounds in the opener. That is not enough support when Maxey is carrying the whole perimeter creation load.
X-Factors
Derrick White is a big one for the Celtics, even after a quieter opener by his standards. He still gave them 10 points and 6 assists in Game 1, and that matters because the Celtics do not need him to score 20 to tilt the game. They need him making the right pass, keeping the ball moving, and defending Maxey without breaking the team shape. If White gives them another steady two-way game, the 76ers have one more problem to solve.
Neemias Queta is another major factor after what happened in the opener. He scored 13 points in just 15 minutes and gave the Celtics strong interior minutes even with foul trouble. If Queta keeps winning those bench center minutes, the Celtics can stay big and physical without losing offense around the rim. That is a serious issue for a 76ers team already missing Embiid.
VJ Edgecombe is the main swing player for the 76ers. He finished Game 1 with 13 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals, but the bigger point is that the 76ers need more force from him in the half-court. Maxey is going to see loaded coverage again. Edgecombe has to attack the gaps that are created. If he turns catches into drives and gets to the rim, the offense gets less predictable.
Kelly Oubre Jr. is the other one because the 76ers need more activity from him on both ends. He had 10 points and 7 rebounds in Game 1, which is fine, but not enough in a game where the wings had to help cover for Embiid’s absence. If Oubre gives the 76ers 15-plus points, good rebounding, and better transition pressure, they have a better chance to keep the game from breaking open early again.
Prediction
Game 2 should be more competitive because the 76ers are unlikely to shoot that poorly again and the opener gave them a very clear list of problems to fix. But the bigger edge is still obvious. The Celtics got whatever they wanted in Game 1, controlled the turnover battle, and had too many answers on both ends.
If the 76ers cannot cut down the live-ball mistakes and get more scoring from Edgecombe and Oubre, they are going to spend another night trying to survive on Maxey alone. That is not enough against this team, especially without Embiid.
Prediction: Celtics 117, 76ers 103
