After blowing a golden opportunity in Game 1, the Boston Celtics needed a big response in Game 2 against the Philadelphia 76ers. And instead of shrinking away from the moment, the C’s delivered a blowout 121-87 win to even up the series.
Even though 2023 MVP Joel Embiid returned, Boston was dominant. The Green Team dropped 64 points in the second half while holding the Sixers to just 38. The Celtics’ strong finish was a welcomed departure from Game 1, as Philly shot 50.6% from the field and caught fire in the fourth quarter of the series opener.
Once again, it seems the Celtics play better when they face their opponents at full strength. Granted, Embiid didn’t look totally healthy, but there’s still a lot the C’s can feel good about with the win.
So, before the Eastern Conference Semifinals head to Philadelphia, here are three takeaways from Boston’s Game 2 trouncing of the Sixers.
3. The Celtics are more than capable of limiting turnovers
Game 1 featured 16 Boston turnovers, one of which absolutely killed its chances of leaving with a victory:
Malcolm Brogdon isn’t even looking when he just gift wraps this turnover and layup to Tyrese Maxey pic.twitter.com/snj6SzgB2Z
— Film Session (@filmsession1) May 2, 2023
Game 2 was a completely different story. Boston had just seven total turnovers on the night. Additionally, Celtics star Jaylen Brown posted only one turnover after having four in Game 1. He finished with 25 points and four assists in 30 minutes of play:
Jaylen Brown FEELING IT pic.twitter.com/zGtln0HMw3
— Celtics Nation (@CelticsNationCP) May 4, 2023
Celtics veteran Marcus Smart contributed a whopping six turnovers in Game 1, yet in Game 2 he also had just one cough-up. He bounced back with 15 points and five rebounds on the night.
The Celtics have certainly had their turnover troubles in the past, but they proved in Game 2 that they can remedy it–even against a solid defensive team like the Sixers. If they can keep the turnovers in the single digits they have a fair chance in every game of this series.
2. Grant Williams showed he’s ready for more
Celtics forward Grant Williams has not had a great season. He failed to sign a new extension, regressed a bit during the regular season, and barely got any minutes in the first round of the playoffs.
Yet, to his credit, he’s stuck by his teammates and showed up when his number was called. The former Tennessee Volunteer dropped 12 points, four rebounds, four assists, and finished with a plus-minus rating of plus-22 (the third-highest on the team). In addition, he shot 50% from deep and hit four huge triples.
He was even doing the little things during the game like diving on the floor for a loose ball:
Marcus Smart DRILLS the three late in the shot clock after Grant Williams’ hustle play pic.twitter.com/CNDHu2TkiF
— Celtics Nation (@CelticsNationCP) May 4, 2023
Tonight, Grant Williams showed that he’s more than deserving of some more run in this series. Through six games versus the Hawks, he played just 35 minutes total. Williams’ minutes average shouldn’t be quite that high, however, he’s looked ready for more than 20 a night as of late.
1. Celtics shined without Jayson Tatum
Celtics star Jayson Tatum had his best outing of the playoffs in Game 1, but it still wasn’t enough to beat the scrappy Sixers.
In Game 2 he got into early foul trouble and finished with just seven points in 19 minutes. Ironically, Celtics bench mob member Payton Pritchard scored more than Tatum on the night. Despite all that, Boston still dominated.
Tatum tonight:
7 PTS
7 REB
3 AST
And the Celtics still won by 34. pic.twitter.com/L9KM7Seehx
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 4, 2023
Now, this is not to say that the Celtics don’t need Tatum’s A-game almost every night. Yet, it’s nice to see that they don’t necessarily need him to carry the load in order to win.
Other starters like Brown and Derrick White were huge in Tatum’s absence, and 2023 Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon arguably had his best game of the season. He came off the bench and notched an impressive 23 points and six rebounds.
WHAT A SEQUENCE
Malcolm Brogdon three Derrick White layup pic.twitter.com/wV2rpOTuVh
— Celtics Nation (@CelticsNationCP) May 4, 2023
The Celtics will need Tatum to be more careful and obviously refrain from getting early fouls. The bench support won’t be this great every night, so he’ll have to lock in for Game 3 on Friday night.
Overall, the C’s displayed their full potential in Game 2. If they can reach that level on a nightly basis they’ll be extremely tough to beat. Yet, they can’t ease up for even a second, as they have to be ready for the Sixers’ best shot in Game 3 in Philadelphia.
The post 3 Celtics takeaways from blowout Game 2 win vs. the Sixers appeared first on ClutchPoints.
