76ers (0-1) at Celtics (1-0) Round 1 Game 2 4/21/26

[celticinorlando]

Agree with Scal that this team resorted to last year after Philly went on the big run. Total opposite of what made them so good this season. Same nasty habits as last season.

[scaryjerry]

So frustrating to get it down to 2 multiple times and then give it all right back. The Sixers were trying to let us take the lead At times in that 4th and we just never did it. Really unfortunate.

Tatum has looked far better than expected but I do think the one thing that is missing is his explosiveness and confidence driving to the basket. That makes it tougher for him to be a three level scorer. Would like to try and get him some mid range looks at least.

Overall just frustrating game. Still should win the series but annoying no doubt.

Why do people act like he was super explosive pre Achilles? He really wasn?t and missed buckets near the rim constantly if he did decide to drive.
I don?t think he?s missing hardly anything, he?s the same ole Jayson Tatum

[Phantom255x]

They need to figure it out better with the rotations. Baylor or Hauser. Vucevic or Garza. Walsh or Hugo for some runs. Some of it just seems like Mazzulla guessing. So far I've seen not much from Vucevic, so maybe try Garza. Hauser today was awful. I know he had a great Game 1 but if he's not making 3s he's useless out there. Baylor can offer more at least.

That said, White and PP need to play better, period.

[scaryjerry]

Agree with Scal that this team resorted to last year after Philly went on the big run. Total opposite of what made them so good this season. Same nasty habits as last season.

Yup they reverted to the identity they?ve had with brown/tatum at the helm?what made this years team special and so fun to watch was they for the first time developed a totally different identity under brown and a bunch of scrappy young guys

[radiohead]

White has to improve. He has been awful so far. PP not much better. Hauser can't defend. I'd rather see Baylor or hugo play more over him.

White needs to be the defensive menace that he is if his shot isn?t falling. The ball needs to go around more too. The Jays took the bulk of the shots tonight. If youre going 1 vs 2 or 1 vs 3 that means guys are open. Make the extra pass.

[ozgod]

Well none of us expected a sweep...but I'm guessing we expected to play better in our loss 

I guess the silver lining is that we shot 25% from 3, they shot 50%, they won by 14, we got to 2 multiple times but couldn't put together enough stops to take the lead. Though in honestly 14 point loss feels like an appropriate score, we were really that much worse than them tonight.

All that said, I'm expecting a much better performance on Friday...I think the 30 point thrashing and 16-0 run created complacency with them and they stopped being the harder- and smarter-playing team. They let the Sixers take too many open 3s and they cashed in tonight. But I think our perimeter defense will be much tighter next game and I don't think they will shoot 50% from 3 again. Even if they shoot 35% and we shoot 25% again I think we will have enough to win.

Vucevic is a liability defensively though...they're forced to play deep drop coverage with him and VJ was getting a lot of open midrange shots off screens as a result.

[Who]

Jaylen with 36pts. Tatum with 19pts.

Nobody else in double digits.

The rest of the team was 16-46 FGA (34.8% FG).

[celticinorlando]

Don't think Philly can play much better....don't think Boston can play much worse.

We will see if they respond in game 3. If Philly makes 3s like tonight then that is trouble.

[scaryjerry]

I?ve noticed even after game 1 based on interviews with the 76ers and how they carry themselves?they simply do not fear the Celtics whatsoever and thought they just played bad and missed shots in game 1
Gonna be a dog fight of a series

[Phantom255x]

My worry isn't with this series, but long term. We know what burned us last year in the postseason (dying by the 3). Today, they went 13-50 from 3 and lost by double digits while looking hopeless for a good chunk of the second half.

Do they have a strategy or way to win games if the 3s aren't falling? Or will they just continue to die by the 3. Because a team like New York or Cleveland will absolutely take avantage if that happens, just like the Knicks last year and the Heat in 2023.

[smicker16]

So frustrating to get it down to 2 multiple times and then give it all right back. The Sixers were trying to let us take the lead At times in that 4th and we just never did it. Really unfortunate.

Tatum has looked far better than expected but I do think the one thing that is missing is his explosiveness and confidence driving to the basket. That makes it tougher for him to be a three level scorer. Would like to try and get him some mid range looks at least.

Overall just frustrating game. Still should win the series but annoying no doubt.

Why do people act like he was super explosive pre Achilles? He really wasn?t and missed buckets near the rim constantly if he did decide to drive.
I don?t think he?s missing hardly anything, he?s the same ole Jayson Tatum

Interesting. I look at that drive against Bona where he lost the ball and Bona blocked it. It?s the stop and go hesitations with him that would allow him to get more separation that I feel is not fully there. Granted he looks wayyyy better than I would have expected so do not want to take away from that.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

complete garbage game

[ozgod]

So frustrating to get it down to 2 multiple times and then give it all right back. The Sixers were trying to let us take the lead At times in that 4th and we just never did it. Really unfortunate.

Tatum has looked far better than expected but I do think the one thing that is missing is his explosiveness and confidence driving to the basket. That makes it tougher for him to be a three level scorer. Would like to try and get him some mid range looks at least.

Overall just frustrating game. Still should win the series but annoying no doubt.

Why do people act like he was super explosive pre Achilles? He really wasn?t and missed buckets near the rim constantly if he did decide to drive.
I don?t think he?s missing hardly anything, he?s the same ole Jayson Tatum

Interesting. I look at that drive against Bona where he lost the ball and Bona blocked it. It?s the stop and go hesitations with him that would allow him to get more separation that I feel is not fully there. Granted he looks wayyyy better than I would have expected so do not want to take away from that.

Yes I noticed that too. He looked a little more labored. I'm not sure if it was explosiveness or timing. I get what Scaryjerry is saying, Tatum has never really been fluid to the rim like Jaylen, but I did feel his explosiveness or timing was better.

[scaryjerry]

So frustrating to get it down to 2 multiple times and then give it all right back. The Sixers were trying to let us take the lead At times in that 4th and we just never did it. Really unfortunate.

Tatum has looked far better than expected but I do think the one thing that is missing is his explosiveness and confidence driving to the basket. That makes it tougher for him to be a three level scorer. Would like to try and get him some mid range looks at least.

Overall just frustrating game. Still should win the series but annoying no doubt.

Why do people act like he was super explosive pre Achilles? He really wasn?t and missed buckets near the rim constantly if he did decide to drive.
I don?t think he?s missing hardly anything, he?s the same ole Jayson Tatum

Interesting. I look at that drive against Bona where he lost the ball and Bona blocked it. It?s the stop and go hesitations with him that would allow him to get more separation that I feel is not fully there. Granted he looks wayyyy better than I would have expected so do not want to take away from that.

His game hasn?t changed at all to me, I think he looks almost better if anything..I?ve been frustrated for years with his lack of going to the rim and when he does he doesn?t go hard and misses more bunnies then just about anyone

[SparzWizard]

My worry isn't with this series, but long term. We know what burned us last year in the postseason (dying by the 3). Today, they went 13-50 from 3 and lost by double digits while looking hopeless for a good chunk of the second half.

Do they have a strategy or way to win games if the 3s aren't falling? Or will they just continue to die by the 3. Because a team like New York or Cleveland will absolutely take avantage if that happens, just like the Knicks last year and the Heat in 2023.

This is Joe Mazz 3-point philosophy. He doesn't believe in 2's. You need to take 3's which are high-percentage shots according to his philosophy. Evidently, nothing has changed for the past 3 years.

I'm eager to revive that old thread again  but I'll wait...if Game 3 is another crap show then it's reasonable