Celtics’ historic opener

Boston opened its playoff run by routing Philadelphia 123-91, a 32-point margin that set the franchise’s record for a Game 1 postseason win. (espn.com) The Celtics led 35-24 after one quarter, pushed the gap to 23 by halftime, and never let the 76ers get close at TD Garden on Sunday, April 19. (nba.com) Jaylen Brown scored 26 points, and Jayson Tatum added 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in his first playoff game since the Achilles injury that ended his 2025 postseason. Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 21 points. (espn.com) Boston entered the series as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, while Philadelphia arrived through the play-in tournament after beating Orlando to claim the No. 7 seed. The opener widened the gap between a rested contender and a team that had to win an extra game just to get into the bracket. (cbsnews.com) The result also revived a rivalry that has tilted Boston’s way in recent years. This is the first Celtics-76ers playoff meeting since 2023, and Philadelphia has not won a postseason series against Boston since 1982. (sportingnews.com) For Boston, the opener doubled as an early check on a roster built around Brown and Tatum after last spring’s playoff run was derailed by Tatum’s injury. Sunday’s box score showed both stars healthy enough to control the game without heavy late minutes. (bostonherald.com) For Philadelphia, the pressure shifted immediately to Game 2 because first-round series rarely forgive back-to-back road losses. The 76ers are scheduled to face Boston again on Tuesday, April 21, at 7 p.m. Eastern. (nba.com) That leaves the series in a simple place after one afternoon in Boston: the Celtics have the lead, the record, and two days to try to make the opener look less like an outlier and more like the matchup. (masslive.com)