Celtics’ 32-point blowout
- The Boston Celtics thumped the Philadelphia 76ers 123–91 in Game 1 of their playoff series. (x.com) - Jaylen Brown scored 26 points while Jayson Tatum added 25 as Boston won by 32 points. (x.com) - The result was one of several lopsided opening games across the weekend, marking an unusually uneven start to the first round. (cbssports.com)
Boston opened its first-round series by crushing Philadelphia 123-91 on Sunday, its biggest Game 1 win in franchise playoff history. (nba.com) Jaylen Brown scored 26 points, Jayson Tatum added 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, and Boston led 33-18 after one quarter at TD Garden. Tyrese Maxey scored 21 points for Philadelphia, which never got closer than 15 after halftime. (espn.com) The Celtics shot 45-for-90 from the field while the 76ers went 35-for-90, and both teams made 17 free throws. Boston also finished with a 43-40 edge on the glass and hit 16 three-pointers to Philadelphia’s four. (nba.com) That opener landed in a first weekend full of uneven scores. The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Phoenix Suns 119-84 in Game 1, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Portland Trail Blazers 111-98, while the bracket shifted quickly toward higher seeds in several series. (nba.com) (cbssports.com) Boston entered the postseason as the East’s No. 1 seed at 56-26, while Philadelphia arrived as the No. 8 seed at 45-37 after surviving the Play-In Tournament. That gap showed up early, with the Celtics outscoring the 76ers 64-46 in the first half. (espn.com) (cbssports.com) The game also marked Tatum’s first playoff appearance since he ruptured his right Achilles tendon last season. He returned with a near triple-double line and helped Boston move the ball well enough to put seven players in double figures. (espn.com) (nba.com) Philadelphia’s problems started on the perimeter and spread everywhere else. Maxey needed 20 shots to get his 21 points, and no other 76ers player scored more than 13 as Boston turned the game into a bench-heavy fourth quarter. (espn.com) (nba.com) Game 2 is Tuesday, April 21, in Boston, with the Celtics already holding a 1-0 series lead. After a 32-point opener, Philadelphia’s next task is simply to make the matchup look competitive before the series shifts to its home floor. (nba.com)
