Wednesday night in the 2023 NBA Playoffs saw the Boston Celtics easily tie the series with the Philadelphia 76ers in a 121-87 win. It was the 15th straight time in the NBA where the home team down 1-0 tied the series with a Game 2 win.
Joel Embiid’s Return Does Not Slow Down Boston Offense
The Celtics had the fourth-highest FG% in a loss by a home team in the playoffs in NBA history in Game 1, so it was more than reasonable to think the offense would struggle more in Game 2 with the return of league MVP Joel Embiid for the 76ers.
But that was not the case. Even though Embiid had 5 blocked shots early in the game, he was clearly limited on his ankle, and he finished with 15 points and 3 rebounds in 26 minutes of action, his first game in two weeks.
The Celtics were deadly from three with 20 makes, including a blistering third quarter where they scored 35 points and took full control of the game, allowing most of the starters on both teams to sit out the fourth quarter.
Even though superstar Jayson Tatum was held to 7 points on 1-of-7 shooting, his first playoff game with one field goal in 82 career playoff games, the Celtics dominated as other players stepped up. Jaylen Brown scored a game-high 25 points, and Malcolm Brogdon was excellent off the bench with 23 points and 6 rebounds.
Philadelphia’s Offense Fails to Deliver
The NBA is a tough league these days with the volatility of 3-point shooting. In Game 1, the 76ers were 17-of-38 (44.7%) from three, including a masterpiece by James Harden, who made seven 3s on his way to 45 points.
But Harden could not buy a basket in Game 2, finishing 2-for-14 from the field, 0-for-6 from deep, and he scored 12 points with 4 assists. He went from one of his best playoff games ever to one of his worst.
The 76ers were 6-for-30 (20%) from three, going ice cold in Boston in the 34-point blowout, the largest margin of defeat for Philadelphia this season. In fact, the first five meetings between these teams were all decided by single digits and 25 points total, so this was a massive blowout.
Philadelphia played from behind for most of the night, but things snowballed dramatically late in the third quarter with the 76ers trailing 73-60. Boston went on a 19-3 run with Brogdon and Derrick White doing most of the damage.
In Game 1, the 76ers shot just 12 free throws, their second fewest in a game this year. With Embiid back, there were some flopping attempts, and the 76ers shot a more normal 23 free throws in Game 2. But the team has a lot of improvement to do in this series if they are going to beat the Celtics and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001.
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