Boston stood out early

Boston opened its first-round series by beating Philadelphia 123-91 on April 19, the biggest Game 1 margin of the Eastern Conference’s opening weekend. (nba.com) The Celtics, the No. 2 seed in the East, lead the No. 7 seed 76ers 1-0 after a game in which they finished with 123 points, 43 rebounds and 31 assists. Jayson Tatum posted 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, and Jaylen Brown led Boston with 26 points. (nba.com; espn.com) Philadelphia got 21 points and eight assists from Tyrese Maxey, but the 76ers managed 91 points in all. NBC Sports called Boston one of the teams that “stood out” from the first weekend and pointed to the way the Celtics closed Game 1. (espn.com; nbcsports.com) That result landed on the first weekend of a postseason that began April 18, with every first-round series moving quickly into Game 2 by April 20. Boston and Philadelphia are back on the floor Tuesday, April 21, at 7 p.m. Eastern in Boston. (nba.com) A 32-point opener changes the shape of a series because it shortens the time for routine adjustments. Philadelphia now has one off day to decide whether to change lineups, defensive coverages or rotation minutes before Game 2. (nba.com; nbcsports.com) Boston’s position also carries recent context inside the series itself. NBA.com’s series page described the opener as a “dominant showing,” and listed Joel Embiid’s absence as a major factor hanging over Philadelphia from the start. (nba.com) The Celtics did not need a late escape or a one-player scoring binge to take control. Their edge showed up in the overall line — 31 assists to Philadelphia’s 20 and a 123-91 final that left Boston with the clearest early statement in the East outside Orlando’s upset in Detroit. (nba.com; nba.com) If Boston repeats that level Tuesday night, the series heads to Philadelphia on April 24 with the 76ers already chasing answers instead of settling into a long matchup. (nba.com; nbcsports.com)