Celtics Roll Past 76ers, Brown: “That’s Celtics Basketball”
The Boston Celtics dominate Game 1 against the Philadelphia 76ers with a commanding 123-91 win. Without Joel Embiid, Philadelphia struggles on both ends and falls behind early in the series
The Boston Celtics opened their first-round Eastern Conference series with a convincing win, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers 123-91 in Game 1. A one-sided result that reinforces Boston’s historical edge over Philadelphia in the NBA Playoffs.
As highlighted by ESPN, the two teams have met six times in the postseason since 1982 – and every time, the Celtics have advanced.
That’s Celtics basketball. We’ve been a team that plays hard all year, and that won’t change in the playoffs. Offense matters, but this series will be won on defense
Jaylen Brown
The game was never in doubt. Philadelphia shot just 4-for-23 from three and gave up a crushing 22-3 margin in points off turnovers. Numbers that reflect the struggles of a team missing its star, Joel Embiid, who underwent emergency appendicitis surgery on April 9 and remains out indefinitely.
The Celtics controlled the game from start to finish, building a lead as large as 35 points and managing the tempo with ease. Leading the way was Jayson Tatum, who posted 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists in just 32 minutes, alongside a 26-point performance from Jaylen Brown.
For Tatum, it’s further confirmation of his progress following an Achilles tendon rupture.
It’s part of the process. It’s part of my story. There were days I wasn’t sure I’d be back on the court this season, so I’m just grateful to be here
Jayson Tatum
On the other side, head coach Nick Nurse acknowledged the team’s struggles:
A lot went wrong. We had some good stretches between the second and third quarter, but overall it was unacceptable
Nick Nurse
Tyrese Maxey, despite finishing with 21 points and 8 assists, couldn’t make the necessary impact due to shooting struggles and defensive lapses.
We had some good looks, but we missed them. The main issue was on defense – too many mistakes in situations we had prepared for
Tyrese Maxey
Despite the dominant win, head coach Joe Mazzulla urged his team to stay focused:
In 48 hours, we have to do it again. We have to expect a better version of ourselves and of our opponent
Joe Mazzulla
Boston now takes control of the series, while Philadelphia is already under pressure to respond, extend the matchup, and try to defy the odds.