Philadelphia 76ers 101-109 Boston Celtics: Twitter explodes as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combine for 61 points in Game 1 | NBA Playoffs 2020
The Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 109-101 in Game 1 of this first-round match-up in the East. The Celtics, led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, managed to hold off the 76ers in the fourth quarter to end the game with a comfortable win.
Jayson Tatum scored a playoff career-high 32 points and grabbed 12 boards while Jaylen Brown dominated the second half in his 29-point performance tonight. The Celtics kept Joel Embiid away from the action with their tight defense, allowing him to take just 15 attempts.
For the Philadelphia 76ers, Joel Embiid was the best player with 26 points and 16 rebounds. Josh Richardson and Alec Burks put up 18 points each as well, with some clutch three-pointers. However, they were missing Ben Simmons on the court tonight and had a whopping 18 turnovers.
Before the game began, Celtics' family members had messages for them. Jayson Tatum's son Deuce was seen watching the game as a virtual fan.
Philadelphia 76ers stay close behind the Boston Celtics in the first half
The Philadelphia 76ers did not let the Boston Celtics take off in the first half. They kept scoring incessantly and were dominant on defense. Embiid ended the first half with 13 points and 9 rebounds but also had 4 turnovers. Josh Richardson scored 10 points in the first half as well.
By the end of the half, Embiid seemed to have run out of gas which fans on Twitter had picked up on. The 76ers, however, did not fall apart with Embiid on the bench.
For the Boston Celtics, Jayson Tatum took off in the first half with 21 points and 8 rebounds on a remarkable 53.7% shooting. This was a career-high for him in the first half. Jaylen Brown also scored 12 points in the half.
Despite 13 turnovers from the Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics ended the first half with just a 6-point lead at 55-49.
Also Read: NBA News Update: Kevin Durant vows to not act professional on Twitter, Kemba feels more "free" after minutes restriction is lifted
The 76ers come roaring back in the third quarter
The Boston Celtics, led by Jayson Tatum continued their scoring run despite Jaylen Brown being off the court. The Philadelphia 76ers tried their best to keep up and never let the Celtics go far ahead.
Embiid continued to score with ease against Daniel Theis as the Celtics continued with their plan of not double-teaming Embiid. Marcus Smart chipped in with his dogged defense and had some crucial stops for the Celtics.
The Philadelphia 76ers had a 13-0 run led by Al Horford and Josh Richardson, to end the third quarter with a 4-point lead at 79-75, despite Embiid being off the floor.
Celtics close out the fourth quarter to win Game 1
Things started to get a little chippy in the fourth quarter with Marcus Smart taking offense to a foul by Embiid. Jaylen Brown who had hurt his quadriceps earlier in the game came back in and made some clutch three-pointers.
Embiid racked up his fourth foul of the game and had to go to the bench. Jaylen Brown took a flagrant foul from Al Horford in a crucial moment in the game. The Celtics took a 92-82 lead with a 6-0 run.
The Boston Celtics continued their scoring run going and had a ten-point 101-91 lead. Gordon Hayward was seen hobbling off the floor after an ankle sprain which will be a cause for concern for the Celtics. The Celtics kept scoring and grabbing crucial defensive rebounds as the Philadelphia 76ers tried to make a comeback. Eventually, the lead proved to be too great as the Boston Celtics won the game 109-101.
Also Read: Why LeBron James is the GOAT?