After an impressive 32-point win in game one on Sunday, Boston would face a more stout Philadelphia opponent in Game 2. The 76ers came out to play in game 2, ratcheting up the defensive intensity and shooting the ball with confidence all game. Philly would snatch a big road win, 97-111 to level the series. Jaylen Brown had 36 points, and Jayson Tatum 19 points in the home loss.
Boston started the gmae with the regular lineup of Derrick White, Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
Tatum nailed the game’s first shot of the night, a triple form the top of the key, a good early sign as JT was just 1/7 from downtown in game one. Sam Hauser’s relocation three-pointer was Boston’s second score of the game. Paul George hit a pair of two-point makes for Philly to make it 6-4 early.
Maxey was challenging Brown at half court, and JB drove past him and converted a nasty one handed dunk over Adem Bona. Brown whistled for a weak taunting technical foul after the play. Tatum was whistled for an offensive foul on a play as Oubre Jr. was clearly out of position, boos and chants raining down for the Refs at TD Garden early in the first quarter.
Jaylen Brown fed Derrick White for an open three-pointer as Boston tied the scores at 13 points. A play later Tatum drove all the way to cup to score with Bona trailing on the play as C’s fans found their voice once more. White drove and dumped it off to Queta, who hit a sweet floater over Andre Drummond who just checked into the game, Boston up 17-13 at the six-minute mark.
Hauser’s second triple gave the C’s a seven point lead, as rookie VJ Edgecombe limped back to the change rooms, after hitting the parquet hard on a rebounding miss. Payton Pritchard and Nikola Vučević were the first players off the bench for Boston and Pritchard had a sweet dime immediately to Brown for a left handed lay up. Vučević nailed his first three-pointer of the game, Boston up by 13 points, 26-13.
Philly went on a quick 10-0 run to cut the Boston lead back to just 3 points with Tatum on the bench. Paul George had a tip in for the visiting 76ers at the buzzer, Boston up by 3 points after one quarter, 28-25.
Derrick White and Jaylen Brown took a seat to start the second quarter, as Jayson Tatum and Hauser returning to the lineup. Baylor Scheierman hit his first triple of the game to open the second quarter, with Vučević on the assist. Boston had 4 early turnovers to start the game, handing the 76ers a pair of easy transition layups. Paul George drilled a corner triple to cut it back to a one point game, Boston up 35-34 at the 9-minute mark.
Veteran big man Andre Drummond fueled the Sixers back into the lead, 40-41, he scored 5 straight points for Philly in a decent stretch of minutes. Brown and White returned to the game and JB immediately got to his spot at the free throw line with Maxey on his hip, he was fouled and hit both free throws to retake the lead.
Philly was shooting the ball well to start game 2, they were shooting at a blistering 52% clip from three, going 10-19 to start the game. VJ Edgecombe dunked it home on the break for his fourteenth point of the night, Philly up 51-54. Edgecombe was outstanding for Philadelphia all half, he led all scorers with 20 points on 61% shooting from the field. Boston trailing 54-62 after the first half of play.
Boston would need to make adjustments in the second half, as they left the Sixers with too many wide open looks from downtown. Boston had 7 turnovers in the half and shot just 1 from 8 from three in the second quarter.
Unfortunately, the Celtics came out flat to start the third quarter with more of the same, Jaylen Brown had a horrible cross court pass picked off, for Boston’s eighth turnover of the night. Paul George hit a triple and the 76ers up by 11 points, 56-67.
Jaylen Brown drove on Drummond to convert on a tough layup, his 17th point of the game. Tatum hit a pair of shots in the lane for Boston but they would need to get defensive stops to get back in the game as Philly kept the scoreboard ticking as Oubre Jr hit a pair of shots.
Jaylen Brown rattled a big time arching three-pointer over Andre Drummond as the Celtics cut it back to 6 points, 68-74 with plenty of time to go in the third quarter. Payton Pritchard finally got on the scoreboard for Boston with 5 minutes to go in the third.
The bench provided a spark for the home team in the third, Vooch, Walsh and Pritchard had good minutes in this mid-quarter stretch, Boston down by just 3 points. Edgecombe had five straight points for Philly to give the road team a buffer. Brown rattled in his 28th point of the night to keep the Celtics within striking distance, Philly by 7 points after three quarters, 77-84.
Derrick White hit a triple to open the scoring for Boston in the fourth. Pritchard’s step back jumper a play later got the score back to just 4 points. Paul George reeled off 5 straight points as Philly extended it’s lead back to 7 points. Tatum’s second three-pointer was timely for Boston, after going 2-13 in the series. Brown matched him with his own triple to cut the lead to 2 points.
Maxey nailed a pair of threes off the dribble for Philly as Boston continued to play drop coverage. It was a ten-point lead 89-99 with four to play. The 76ers were the more tougher team all game, hitting the big shots in a timely manner. Boston’s dismal three point shooting was the story of the night, as they had just 13 makes from 50 attempts.
The series now switches to Philadelphia for Game 3, as the Boston Celtics look to get things back on track on Friday 24th of April at 7pm EST.
