The Philadelphia 76ers host the Boston Celtics for Game 3 on Friday at 7:00 PM ET at the Xfinity Mobile Arena, with the 2026 NBA Playoff first-round series tied at 1-1.
The 76ers pulled off an upset 111-97 win over the Celtics in Game 2 after falling to a one-sided 123-91 loss in Game 1. They successfully shut down the Celtics’ rotation shooting abilities by restricting them to 12-50 (26.0 3P%) from outside. A 19-39 (48.7 3P%) three-point shooting night on the road from the 76ers was too much for Boston to overcome with their poor shooting.
Rookie VJ Edgecombe emerged as the star of Game 2, putting up a 30-point triple-double with 10 rebounds on 12-20 shooting from the field. Tyrese Maxey held up his end of the bargain with 29 points (11-28 FG) and nine assists. The only Celtics to score in double digits were Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Brown had 36 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in an excellent individual outing, while Tatum finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists.
The 76ers will hope to replicate Game 2’s magic with their raucous home crowd in their corner. Given the intensity of the 76ers-Celtics rivalry, it’s going to be an uncomfortable night on the road for the Celtics.
Injury Report
76ers
Joel Embiid: Doubtful (appendectomy)
Celtics
N/A
Why The 76ers Have The Advantage
The 76ers might have found the solution to neutralizing the Celtics’ offense in Game 2. The Celtics’ rotation this season isn’t as dynamic as the one we saw in the last two seasons with veterans like Jrue Holiday. The team doesn’t have enough playmakers outside, relying on Tatum, with Payton Pritchard and Derrick White not excelling as pass-first players. Consequently, the 76ers found a way to drain the life out of Boston’s perimeter scorers through aggressive defense, even if it came at the expense of Tatum and Brown having good nights.
The Celtics’ rotation outside of Tatum and Brown shot 16-46 from the field and 6-30 from three. The 76ers’ game plan perfectly restricted any supplemental production the Celtics’ rotation could give their two stars. Philly created 11 turnovers and 15 points off those turnovers, making the margins count in a game where they were out-rebounded and out-assisted.
The emergence of Edgecombe as potentially a leading scorer in addition to their best defender is huge for the 76ers. The Celtics haven’t accounted for a rookie like Edgecombe being the key swing piece in terms of production, so trying to find an answer for him will be crucial. However, Edgecombe had a lot of success against White as a defender, which might force Brown to cede offensive responsibilities to try to guard the explosive 20-year-old swingman. A threat like him, alongside veteran Paul George, might be too much of a handful for the Celtics to reliably contain.
The absence of Joel Embiid still looms large, but the 76ers have found ways to be competitive with an entirely different brand of basketball. They’re attacking the Celtics in transition and spacing their defense out as aggressively as they can. While a 48.7% shooting on high volume from three isn’t a safe bet to rely on, their solid outside shooting will at least be in front of a raucous crowd on their side.
Why The Celtics Have The Advantage
The Celtics are still the better team on paper, but it depends on how coach Joe Mazzulla extracts the most from his roster after the 76ers exposed their lack of dynamic offense. They can’t be overreliant on either Brown or Tatum and need to ensure that the team unit that shot 36.7% from three on the season comes back to life after a terrible shooting display in Game 2. They have been a more productive outside shooting team than the 76ers all season, and need to find that spark on the road.
Despite a 14-point margin of defeat, the Celtics managed to end the night with more rebounds (50-42) and assists (24-18) than the 76ers. This shows the underlying strength of their squad was caught out by a night where outside shooting told the tale. All Boston needs is a more even shooting night, and their advantage on the margins will make enough of a difference to swing the result in their favor.
Embiid is currently listed as doubtful for Game 3, so the Celtics will likely be preparing to play the 76ers without him available. This allows Boston to build up their advantage at center. Neemias Queta and Nikola Vucevic as a center duo is already proving to be too much for the 76ers, with the 76ers losing the rebounding battle across the series. Andre Drummond is a capable veteran, but a core of him and Adem Bona won’t be enough to stop Boston, especially with Luka Garza as another option for the Celtics.
The Celtics outscored the 76ers 38-32 in the paint in a game they lost by 14 points, which shows how over-reliant the 76ers will be on perimeter production from their players. Boston restricted the 76ers to 17.4% from three in Game 1, so we know their rotation is capable of strangling their outside offense. If the Celtics manage that, it should be enough to seal a win, given how they’ve measurably been better across most other aspects of the game.
X-Factors
Payton Pritchard has been one of the biggest swing pieces for the Celtics all season. The guard has averaged 8.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists over two Playoff games, down from 17.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in the regular season. Pritchard is a two-way contributor with the Celtics needing his energy on the perimeter and on-ball creativity to keep the team functioning. He’s become a glue guy, and his performance will be crucial to Boston’s chances of success amid a tough series so far.
Neemias Queta will need to impose his will on the 76ers’ interior once again, averaging 10.5 points and 4.0 rebounds through two games in this series. He was only a -1 in their Game 2 loss to the 76ers, so it seems he will continue receiving a bulk of the team’s center minutes. He works hard on the glass and is a defensive anchor, so if he has a rough game, the 76ers’ chances of winning improve dramatically.
Paul George has averaged 18.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists through two games in this series, looking like a solid wing contributor. If the 76ers want to pull off an upset series win, it starts with George finding ways to be more productive. Edgecombe won’t always have 30-point games carrying the team forward, so until Embiid is back, George needs to operate as the team’s de facto second option. If he has the production to back it up, the 76ers will be impossible to beat.
The 76ers have lost the paint battle consistently to the Celtics. With Embiid’s return inching closer, Andre Drummond will need to excel in his absence in Game 3. He’s averaged 6.0 points and 6.5 rebounds through two games. He can be more impactful given he’s averaging over 24 minutes, but he needs to be able to outhustle Boston’s centers like Queta and Vucevic. If Drummond can secure the paint against Boston, the 76ers’ chances of earning a win skyrocket.
Prediction
The 76ers’ shooting performance in Game 2 was an outlier. It’ll be hard to replicate for a win, especially because the Celtics have been the better team across most other facets in this series. We expect Boston to regain home-court advantage with a Game 3 win, taking a 2-1 series lead before Joel Embiid is back in the mix. Embiid’s return might make this a trickier game in the future, so his continued absence should help the Celtics secure a crucial Game 3 win.
Prediction: Celtics 111, 76ers 108
