3 things to watch in Celtics-76ers Game 2

The Philadelphia 76ers will want a strong Game 2 response to invite suspense in their first-round series with the Boston Celtics.

They do not essentially want to win Tuesday (7 ET, Peacock/NBC Sports), however merely make it a four-quarter sport and the previous few minutes significant.

None of that occurred in Game 1, won breezily by Bostonand now the Sixers have logic towards them together with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. And logic may be extra highly effective as a result of it crops a seed of doubt.

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla will maintain insisting to his gamers that the Sixers are not any pushovers and any lapse by Boston or overconfidence may trigger hassle, as a result of that is what coaches do after they’re up large. As for Nick Nurse, he’ll want to pull loads of motivational tips from his bag for the Sixers.

And if he can attain deep and pull out Joel Embiid, that’ll definitely do wonders for Philly and this sequence.

Here are three things to watch for in Tuesday’s Game 2:

1. Celtics apply the max on Maxey

It’s actually easy — if the Celtics make it arduous for Tyrese Maxey to rating, then they will additionally make it arduous for the Sixers to win. This is a no brainer technique: throw a number of our bodies in Maxey’s path and make him break a ton of sweat. The thought is to put on him out, frustrate him if potential, and go away him with little gasoline by the fourth quarter.

If that is profitable, it’s going to be up to his teammates to counter with factors… and that is a bet the Celtics will take eight days per week. Is VJ Edgecombe, a solid rookie however a rookie in his first playoff sequence, up to the duty of being the amount shooter?

How about Kelly Oubre Jr., who has by no means been a lead singer in his profession? Is there anybody else, each prepared and extra importantly, in a position, to give the Celtics plenty of hassle aside from Maxey?

The smart candidate is Paul George, who has been in this function many occasions all through his profession. But he hasn’t been that man since becoming a member of the Sixers.

Also, to faucet into different scoring choices, the Sixers resorted to capturing 3s in Game 1 however shot solely 2-for-16.

Therefore, the Celtics can throw Brown and Derrick White at Maxey, pressure him to give up the ball, dare the others to shoot and reside with the end result.

All that is made potential by the absence of Embiid, who might not suit up this sequence.

The defensive blueprint can be fully totally different towards the Sixers if Embiid have been wholesome. But he is not, so it is not.

2. Tatum’s follow-up

The final two occasions Tatum took the ground in a playoff sport, he damage his Achilles (last spring) after which practically notched a triple-double (final Saturday).

Suffice to say, these have been two vastly totally different emotional outcomes, and fortunate for the Celtics, he is trending in the right direction after practically a yr on the mend.

What’s subsequent for Game 2? Each time Tatum distances himself from surgery with a significant efficiency, the Celtics’ odds of being the favourite in the East take one other degree up. Having Tatum and Brown in sync and doing a tag-team on the opposition, whereas the supporting forged fills in wherever crucial, positively offers Boston a robust case.

In this sequence, the place the Sixers in all probability will not supply a lot resistance, Tatum can construct his confidence much more and put together himself for higher competitors, assuming the Celtics advance, which appears destined to occur except the sky falls.

3. Can this sequence pull even at one sport apiece?

It appears unlikely, particularly after the Celtics’ wire-to-wire 32-point Game 1 win. But these are the playoffs.

Stuff occurs typically… bizarre stuff.

The Sixers’ greatest probability of profitable a sport might be when the sequence shifts to Philly. That mentioned, just a few points may trigger an earthquake on Tuesday in Boston, ought to they occur:

• Tatum struggles. That’s not a stretch. He has been up and down since returning to the lineup and Game 2 might be a type of less-than-enthusiastic moments. Boston managed to do exactly wonderful with out him this season, which is the excellent news for the Celtics, but when the Sixers play an impressed sport, then Tatum’s disappearing act may backfire.

• The Celtics’ 3-pointers do not fail. This crew is not bashful about launching from deep; it is in the Celtics’ DNA. They take 44 per sport. Yet suppose they go chilly: The Celtics shot 36% in the common season, which is first rate, however not precisely legendary. Aside from Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard, no one is elite.

• Philadelphia performs as if the season relies on it. Which is definitely the case, as a result of if the Sixers go down 2-0, they will want to win 4 out of 5 to take the sequence. So, sure, that is paramount for Philly.

• Embiid miraculously returns. Sixers followers can solely hope.

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Shaun Powell has lined the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at spowell@nba.comdiscover (*3*) and follow him on.