After missing the past two games, Joel Embiid was finally able to return to the court for the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers had managed without him in Game 1 against the Boston Celtics, largely thanks to James Harden. Harden had put up 45 points to steal a road win in Boston. However, the Sixers needed Embiid back on the court to stand a chance at weathering the Boston storm long-term.
However, the Sixers' Game 1 win put the team in a good position. Rather than utilize Embiid to play catch up on their Eastern Conference rivals, they could use their MVP to extend their lead. The Sixers have not progressed past the Conference Semifinals since the 2000-01 season. They are 0-6 in the second round of the playoffs since that season. Two of those series losses have come against the Celtics.
Celtics Rout Sixers
So about capitalizing on that lead with Embiid back. Understandably, Doc Rivers played his MVP cautiously. The center had 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 blocks in 27 minutes. However, no one was able to set up to replace his productivity, even with Rivers using all but one of his bench players. Tobias Harris led the team in scoring with 16 points. Meanwhile, Philly's nine bench players saw a combined 97 minutes on the floor but only managed to add 26 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists. Embiid and Harris were the only Sixers starters to reach 15 points.
The real story of the game came from the Celtics' defense. After allowing the Sixers to sink 17 threes in Game 1, Boston forced an awful 6-for-30 shooting night from behind the arc in Game 2. While Jayson Tatum put up just seven points on a foul-riddled night, other Celtics stepped up offensively. Jaylen Brown led all scorers with 25 points while Marcus Brogdon added 23 from the bench. The resulting 121-87 drubbing becomes Philly's fourth-worst playoff loss in team history. Ironically, the worst playoff loss, a 40-point loss in 1982, also came at the hands of the Celtics. However, the Sixers will get the chance to bounce back at home as the series moves to Philadelphia. The Sixers went 29-12 at Wells Fargo Center during the regular season. Game 3 is set for May 5 at 7:30pm.
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