76ers (1-0) at Celtics (0-1) Round 2 Game #2 5/3/23

[Phantom255x]

 

[Vermont Green]

Wow, I know I feel a lot better.  Got to watch most of the game but wasn't able to join the in game thread.  I wonder if people feel better about the team and Joe as well?

This game went pretty much as Joe said.  He said he wanted more 3s, less turnovers, that is what he got.  He still has a weird way of articulating things.  Kind of like Belichick in a way with the short, blunt answers.  He tends to reveal more than Belichick usually does though.

We still have plenty of work to do to win this series.  But we blew them off the court with Tatum going 1-7 in 19 minutes and Horford going 2-10 in 24 min.  They are frustrating Tatum with the defensive focus, he needs to accept that challenge and play though that.  Horford just missed open shots.

I said before the game yesterday that I believe the Celtics will win the series.  Still feeling that.  PHI is a good team with two absolute stars (albeit one old and one hurt), but we are better.  We just need to play that way.  PHI is not going to make this easy.

[keevsnick]

It feels like the C's are just going to consistently get better shots in this series. In order for Phili to win they either need to have an outrageous shooting performance, or the C's need to lose the possession battle by a lot. Its possible that happens three more times in the next five games, but I'm pretty comfortable with this match up still.

[Kuberski33]

I was at the game. My main observation was that I think they had more deflections in the first 6 minutes of the game than they had in all of Game 1.  Defensively they were locked in the entire night. No switching - and they even doubled Harden once! 

I'm sure it was discussed but playing Grant was a wise move by Joe and Grant ended up being more effective than I expected given his limited minutes.  KEEP PLAYING HIM.

I haven't watched Embid enough to tell for sure but it looked to me like he wasn't moving all that well so having Grant on him at times away from the basket was pretty sound.

Have to say regarding the defense they really made Philly work for shots. Even when they had good sets and scored, the C's forced them into a lot of passes.  Defensively they were just into it for the entire game. Let's hope it continues. That's their key to winning.

[Atzar]

Jaylen's box score was nice, but I think I was most impressed with his work at the other end.  He was in Harden's airspace all night.  Probably his best defensive game in two years or more. 

I think he has faded a bit as a defender since he became a primary scoring option.  Used to be an easy plus defender despite the occasional off-ball lapses.  Now I think he's more around average most nights, with the ability to dial it up for stretches but otherwise saving his energy for offense (and that's fine, within reason).  But last night he clearly took the matchup with Harden personally.  That was the most focused and consistently-engaged I've seen him in a long time.  Pleasure to watch and I hope we see it more for the rest of the playoffs.  Leave it out there.  No more saving it for later.

[blink]

Jaylen's box score was nice, but I think I was most impressed with his work at the other end.  He was in Harden's airspace all night. Probably his best defensive game in two years or more. 

I think he has faded a bit as a defender since he became a primary scoring option.  Used to be an easy plus defender despite the occasional off-ball lapses.  Now I think he's more around average most nights, with the ability to dial it up for stretches but otherwise saving his energy for offense (and that's fine, within reason).  But last night he clearly took the matchup with Harden personally.  That was the most focused and consistently-engaged I've seen him in a long time.  Pleasure to watch and I hope we see it more for the rest of the playoffs.  Leave it out there.  No more saving it for later.

The bolded 100%.  I mentioned it in the game thread too.  Harden was being guarded by Brogdon a bit last night as well, and MB was struggling a bit with Harden.  Jaylen seemed to have the marcus smart def attitude last night to fight through the screens and stay close to Harden and frustrate him a bit.  Jaylen was the 'elite two way player' version of himself last night.  I am glad Joe stuck with Jaylen on Harden most of the time. 

When our team really commits all in to playing great def, we are really tough to beat.  Grant W. also played some good def last night on Embiid. 

[Who]

Jaylen's box score was nice, but I think I was most impressed with his work at the other end.  He was in Harden's airspace all night. Probably his best defensive game in two years or more. 

I think he has faded a bit as a defender since he became a primary scoring option.  Used to be an easy plus defender despite the occasional off-ball lapses.  Now I think he's more around average most nights, with the ability to dial it up for stretches but otherwise saving his energy for offense (and that's fine, within reason).  But last night he clearly took the matchup with Harden personally.  That was the most focused and consistently-engaged I've seen him in a long time.  Pleasure to watch and I hope we see it more for the rest of the playoffs.  Leave it out there.  No more saving it for later.

The bolded 100%.  I mentioned it in the game thread too.  Harden was being guarded by Brogdon a bit last night as well, and MB was struggling a bit with Harden.  Jaylen seemed to have the marcus smart def attitude last night to fight through the screens and stay close to Harden and frustrate him a bit.  Jaylen was the 'elite two way player' version of himself last night.  I am glad Joe stuck with Jaylen on Harden most of the time. 

When our team really commits all in to playing great def, we are really tough to beat.  Grant W. also played some good def last night on Embiid.

It is beautiful to watch highly talented players like Jaylen push themselves on defense.

[Vermont Green]

I was looking a little deeper into the stats from Game 2.  Tatum was +24 in his 19 minutes (best on the  team) and had a NRTG of 56.6, also best on the team.  His DRTG was 68.4, much better than the team overall of 91.6.  His ORTG was 125 if you don't want to do the math.

Point is that even though his traditional box score stats were really low, he seemed to have been impacting the scoreboard in a big way.  Either that, or he was just really lucky to be on the court during the times when things went the Celtics' way.

[Kuberski33]

Jaylen's box score was nice, but I think I was most impressed with his work at the other end.  He was in Harden's airspace all night. Probably his best defensive game in two years or more. 

I think he has faded a bit as a defender since he became a primary scoring option.  Used to be an easy plus defender despite the occasional off-ball lapses.  Now I think he's more around average most nights, with the ability to dial it up for stretches but otherwise saving his energy for offense (and that's fine, within reason).  But last night he clearly took the matchup with Harden personally.  That was the most focused and consistently-engaged I've seen him in a long time.  Pleasure to watch and I hope we see it more for the rest of the playoffs.  Leave it out there.  No more saving it for later.

The bolded 100%.  I mentioned it in the game thread too.  Harden was being guarded by Brogdon a bit last night as well, and MB was struggling a bit with Harden.  Jaylen seemed to have the marcus smart def attitude last night to fight through the screens and stay close to Harden and frustrate him a bit.  Jaylen was the 'elite two way player' version of himself last night.  I am glad Joe stuck with Jaylen on Harden most of the time. 

Harden abuses defenders who are smaller than him. He's got amazing quickness and he's big for a guy with his type of game. Smart can, at times, guard him and Jaylen too. But he destroys Brogdon and even White because he's quick enough to get by them and he can physically overmatch them attacking the basket.

With a guy like him you have to show him different looks but last night Jaylen was definitely the # 1 option to guard him - and rose to the occasion.

[Vermont Green]

White should be the primary Maxey defender, Brogdon the secondary.  Smart the primary Harden defender, Brown the secondary.  That is pretty clear.  Harden will bully a defender that has less bulk.

If both Brown and Smart on on the floor, let them take turns guarding Harden.

[CelticsWhat35]

I was looking a little deeper into the stats from Game 2.  Tatum was +24 in his 19 minutes (best on the  team) and had a NRTG of 56.6, also best on the team.  His DRTG was 68.4, much better than the team overall of 91.6.  His ORTG was 125 if you don't want to do the math.

Point is that even though his traditional box score stats were really low, he seemed to have been impacting the scoreboard in a big way.  Either that, or he was just really lucky to be on the court during the times when things went the Celtics' way.

Regardless of what any stats say, Tatum did not have a good game.  I think the foul trouble was part of it because he seemed aggressive early in the first, but he seemed to be going at half speed for most of the game.  Wasn’t running with Jaylen on the fast break and not hustling back on defense

[gouki88]

Does he think he's Jordan?

[Phantom255x]

Does he think he's Jordan?

Yes. He's Jordan. Jordan Mickey that is 

[Yuckabuck33]

I was looking a little deeper into the stats from Game 2.  Tatum was +24 in his 19 minutes (best on the  team) and had a NRTG of 56.6, also best on the team.  His DRTG was 68.4, much better than the team overall of 91.6.  His ORTG was 125 if you don't want to do the math.

Point is that even though his traditional box score stats were really low, he seemed to have been impacting the scoreboard in a big way.  Either that, or he was just really lucky to be on the court during the times when things went the Celtics' way.

Part of Doc Rivers' explicit plan was to get Tatum in foul trouble: whaddya all think?

[Celtics4ever]

I think the refs do that for him.    Our stars for whatever reason are not  on the NBA star call list.   They can't count on 10 FTAs to bail them out on a bad night like other stars get like Embiid, or Lebron.

Tatum is downright surley to refs and complains way to much.   I look for the whistle to be raining hate on us all knight in game three.

PJ Tucker fouls every plan and does not always get called it.   Tatum sniffs at a guy and it is foul.   

I think Draymond and Tucker intentionally play dirty and try to hurt guys.    It is their primary value to a team, neither can score or board much, just dirty defense.