Celtics criticized; rookie’s big debut
- What happened: Boston media criticized the Celtics’ lack of tactical adjustment after a poor Game 2 showing. - The key specific: rookie VJ Edgecombe posted 30 points and 10 rebounds in his playoff debut, a feat last matched by Tim Duncan in 1998. - Context/reaction: critics contrast Boston’s strategic rigidity with opponents’ ability to exploit backcourt creation this postseason. (x.com)
Boston’s first-round series with Philadelphia is tied 1-1 after a 111-97 Game 2 loss, and the loudest reaction in town centered on the Celtics’ lack of adjustment. (nba.com) (bostonglobe.com) Philadelphia flipped the matchup on April 21 at TD Garden after losing Game 1 by 32 points two nights earlier. Tyrese Maxey scored 29 points with nine assists, and rookie VJ Edgecombe added 30 points and 10 rebounds as the 76ers hit 19 threes. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) Edgecombe’s line put him in a category no rookie had reached in the playoffs since Tim Duncan in 1998. Sixers Wire said he also made six 3-pointers in the win, and Philadelphia’s team site called it NBA playoff history for the No. 3 pick. (usatoday.com) (nba.com) The criticism in Boston focused less on one bad shooting night than on how the game changed after the first quarter. The Globe said Philadelphia “made the necessary adjustments” while Boston “stuck with its game plan,” and Yahoo’s Game 2 takeaways pointed to the Sixers’ changes plus Maxey’s shot creation late. (bostonglobe.com) (sports.yahoo.com) That theme has followed Boston through this postseason because opponents have been able to generate offense from the backcourt. In Game 2, Philadelphia got 59 combined points from Maxey and Edgecombe after Boston held the Sixers to 91 points in Game 1. (nba.com) (espn.com) Boston also gave Philadelphia a clean math advantage. The Celtics shot 13-for-50 from 3-point range, 26%, while the 76ers went 19-for-39, 49%, and Philadelphia finished with a 50-42 rebounding edge. (espn.com) Joe Mazzulla did not frame the response as a wholesale tactical rewrite before Game 3. In comments carried by MSN from his postgame availability, he said, “I think it starts with the stuff that we can control,” as Boston prepared to face Philadelphia’s backcourt again. (msn.com) The schedule now shifts to Philadelphia with Game 3 set for Friday, April 24, at 7 p.m. Eastern. Boston’s problem is plain: a tied series, a rookie who just matched a 28-year playoff benchmark, and a matchup that no longer looks like a routine No. 2 versus No. 7 seed. (nba.com) (espn.com)
