BOSTON — Now that’s Celtics basketball.
Fresh off a disappointing Game 1 loss to a Joel Embiid-less Philly team on Monday, Boston came out with a sense of urgency back at TD Garden 48 hours later.
The Celtics didn’t just win, they dominated the Sixers and appeared to be having fun doing it, using an explosive third quarter to run away for a 121-87 win.
It was the perfect response, the perfect reset game for a Celtics team that desperately needed it. Now the series shifts back to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Friday and it will be interesting to see which Beantown group shows up.
Here’s five immediate takeaways from the convincing victory.
1. Defensive intensity the difference
Boston has struggled mightily defensively for much of this postseason. But the team was locked in on Wednesday, holding the Sixers to just 39.2 percent shooting (31-for-79) and an abysmal 20 percent (6-for-30) from 3-point land. Nothing changed but their intensity and attention to detail, proving that for this group, it’s all about commitment, focus and effort.
The starters were active from the jump. In the first quarter alone there were multiple deflections and players diving on the floor for loose balls — a theme that carried over for the remainder of the game.
Jaylen Brown (game-high 25 points) in particular was regularly in a low, defensive stance, and as a whole, the team’s body language was visibly improved. Boston’s D forced 13 turnovers on the evening and held Embiid to just 15 points and three rebounds in his return to action. Harden was a non factor as well, scoring just 12 points on 2-for-14 shooting from the field after erupting for 45 points in Game 1.
2. Huge third quarter
Many times throughout the current campaign the Celtics have been unpredictable at best coming out of halftime. Last night, they made a statement, outscoring the Sixers 35-16 in the third quarter to put the final nail in the coffin. Boston hit seven 3-balls in the frame and was unrelenting in their attack against Philly’s zone.
The 16 Philly points were their second lowest total for a single quarter this season.
3. 3-ball on point
Boston wasn’t just hot from distance in the third; they were knocking down shots all night. After hitting just 10 triples in Game 1, the Celtics drilled 20 (on 51 attempts) on Wednesday. Malcolm Brogdon led the charge with six threes in just 24 minutes off the bench; hit or miss Grant Williams was effective as well, making four of his eight tries from that distance, while Derrick White and Brown both canned three.
If they continue to move the ball with a purpose, Boston will keep getting good looks from beyond the arc.
4. Getting it done despite rough night for Tatum
Jayson Tatum had perhaps his worst career playoff game, finishing with just seven points on 1-for-7 shooting from the field in 19 minutes of action. He battled foul trouble all night, picking up his third with about five minutes to go in the first half before smacking Harden in the face in the third quarter to snag his fourth. He looked out of sorts, disengaged and frustrated with his performance.
If nothing else, it’s actually encouraging that the Celtics were able to win so handedly without any sort of impact from their best player. Somehow, Tatum finished with a game-high plus/minus of +24.
5. Balance across the board
This was a total team effort. Five players reached double figures in the scoring column, four had at least six rebounds, and Boston had 26 assists on 43 made baskets. Williams played terrific off the bench, as did Brogdon, and even Rob Williams III, who made the only shot he took all night, made an impact by swatting three shots and snaring seven rebounds in 22 minutes. The Celtics also got to the line 16 times and missed just once. Just about everything went right in the marquee victory.