The game.
The game Boston has been waiting for; not since July 1st, but since the inception of “the Jays”. The inevitable revenge game, a widely discussed topic among NBC Boston commentators and Celtics fans.
Former Green Teamers always shine against us; think Aaron Nesmith or Mo Wagner. But this is different. This is Jaylen Brown. After Tatum attempted to greet his former teammate, the man he shared a duck boat with 3 years ago, he was met with nothing, snubbed as if they were strangers.
It’s sad to see the aftermath, but also the drama is undeniably riveting. And the game was cinema.
After an extensive dialogue about who is better, who hates who, and various narratives about how Jaylen was dealt, it culminated in a Celtics W.
First Quarter
Jayson Tatum quickly forced a JB turnover early in the first quarter; out of bounds off an attempted left-handed dribble. Typical JB. It’s much more satisfying when it doesn’t happen to your team. Defensively, both players match up well. Offensively, their games rely on contact and lethal drives, along with a satisfactory 3-ball.
The broadcast expertly highlighted the other when one made a mistake. A Tatum errant pass led to an angle of Brown on the bench, and the bench units dueled. My opinion of the 76ers bench has changed since the season began; they aren’t as bad as I thought, and the KCP, Anfernee Simons, and Dean Wade pickups have aged well. I’m worried about rookie Labaron Philon’s development in such a deep backcourt, but ultimately that shouldn’t be Philly’s concern. They are only focused on getting to 10-2.
Tensions flared when Mitchell Robinson got tangled up in a Joel Embiid post move. That’s an underrated player rivalry, backed by multiple years of playoff matchups. Whether it was the dirty play Embiid pulled on Robinson or the emphatic dunk Mitch put on the former MVP. The first quarter ended without much drama. Celtics up.
One thing to note was the free-throw disparity. A third of the way through the second quarter, the Sixers had 14 more free throws. The Sixers play a physical style of offense, and the Celtics are prone to high-effort fouls, especially at center. It also shows how efficient the Celtics offense has operated so far this year; they don’t need the charity stripe to dominate teams.
Adem Bona and Dominick Barlow were ruled out for the game, and it was evident in the non-Embiid minutes. Jabari Walker and Dean Wade had to slide into the 5, leading to awkward mismatches against our bigs. A positive takeaway for the first 20 minutes? Hugo’s defense. He had an elite contest against LeBron, took a charge, and had a few deflections. After the Giannis trade debacle and him being deemed untouchable, it’s good to see the Spaniard shine early in his career. His offensive game still has plenty of room to grow.
Second Quarter
Halftime. 62-51 Green team. Embiid got banged up after an awkward layup, then slipped and kicked on the ground. VJ Edgecombe immediately dunked on top of him, writhing in pain, which made the moment at least a little comical. He had an ethically questionable 9 points all from free throws and 0-6 from the field. 9-23 (39%) from 3 is a standard Celtics half. Tatum and George combined for 30. Brown only had 8 and got into foul trouble. A Paul George appreciation article feels justified at this point. Just a regular-season game, George said before heading into the locker room.
The Sixers quickly battled back and cut the deficit to 6. Edgecombe had an utterly insane layup, with his core behind the backboard. Philly employed a classic anti-Celtic strategy of daring the big with the ball at the top of the key, and the possession essentially dies. By the time a real ball handler gets to the handoff, the shot clock is in its final moments. Queta took an awkward, unnecessary floater and then went back to the pick-and-roll game with Boston’s new duo.
A sizzling Sixers run came to a screeching halt when Tatum posterized LeBron, making fans reminisce about Game 7 of the 2018 ECF. The free-throw disparity kept growing, with Brown waiting in the wings. Foul trouble got in the way of a duel nearly a decade in the making. The run continued after a sloppy turnover. 20-7 for most of the 3rd period.
Third Quarter
The third period ended with a flurry of 3s from both sides. Pritchard somehow had one drop after bouncing off the rim, straight up off the top of the backboard, breaking the camera, then straight through. PP got hot but has still underachieved overall this year given the hype he garnered.
Sure, he has the flashy double step-backs and Iverson-esque crossovers, but the shots don’t fall when he does all the extra bag work. When he keeps it simple, he’s more effective. Which is unfortunate, because when he hits one of those highlights, there’s no better feeling. For example, a simple crossover into a step-back 3 over Dean Wade was enough to begin the fourth. Up 9, with 12 mins left—just another regular-season game.
Fourth Quarter
George, who WILL get a dedicated article, opened the 4th with a slew of contested jumpers that all seemed to fall no matter what. JB continued to struggle, still stuck on 8 points and a calm 0-3 from 3. His comments the other day regarding Boston’s culture and his time in Philly really stuck out to me; he feels fully bought in, and when he’s healthy, he’s a top-tier, two-way player. He had 36 halfway through the fourth with three made 3s. There’s no reason he can be an All-Star this season at this pace, which would blow the socks off of Celtics fans if you told them in July.
Credit to Noah Eagle for the line, “PG-13 just turned Rated-R.” Not sure how that one has never come up in his career.
After a wide-open 3, Nick Nurse opted to empty the bench. The white flag was waved. JB and JT unfortunately got little action against each other. The game started with Brown face guarding Tatum until the Celtics began hunting for switches. Once Tatum got onto Maxey or Edgecombe, subpar defenders, openings were everywhere. The defensive integrity of the Sixers is there, but I question their ability to scale up if they are down Embiid, Barlow, or Bona. Our bigs are not skilled enough to self-create, but I imagine a more ball-heavy center could dominate this team.
As for the Celtics? The ceiling is a championship. The NBC crew said it best when they said the Celtics are 12 deep, a privilege Philly doesn’t share. When Tatum struggles, Paul George steps up and vice versa. Defense surges through the veins of the green, along with a commitment to hustle and team-first scoring.
That mentality showed in the waning moments of the game: Gonzalez forces a turnover, gets a corner 3, then intercepts the inbound for a layup. 5 points in garbage time because the clock hasn’t run out. God, I love this team.
The Celtics win against the Sixers, 123-101. The Cs are back in action Wednesday versus the Raptors at 7 PM EST.
Check the ball up.
