Rewind | Game 1 Takeaways

rest of the way. They gave themselves a shot behind a really strong third quarter, but in the end, Jalen Brown and Kemba Walker finished the job that Jason Tatums started and the Celtics take Game one of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals best of seven series in Orlando one O nine to one on one, I'm Brian Seltzer. Tough one

for the seventy Sixers. Joel Embiide leads the way with twenty six points and sixteen rebounds, but he and the Sixers battled some early issues with turnovers, and that is the first area you can go to when trying to dissect where this game got away from the Sixers. The Sixers committing eighteen turnovers in the game to Boston seven, and the Celtics relatedly outscored the Sixers twenty one to seven. And points off turnovers and eighteen to eight on the

break the sixers. We know the scene setting storylines without Ben Simmons coming into this series, making their margin for er against a very good, potent Boston Celtics team even that much more thin, and it just put them in a really tough bind in the early going where they

were playing well enough to have control the game. In fact, you could make the case they did at the outset have control the game, but just too many turnovers gave the Boston Celtics too much life, too many opportunities to hang close, get into a rhythm, and ultimately when their best player, Jason Tatum, caught fire, he was really tough to slow down in rethinking the game. There was, you know, I guess sometimes trying to have to be a pessimist.

When I look at things, I have what I call like an oh moment's column, And one moment for me tonight was when Jason Tatum, after a sluggish start in the first quarter, knocked down a contested three in the second quarter to give Auston the thirty two thirty one lead. It was a tough shot, it was a pure make and you're like, h, you hope if you're rooting for the Sixers, that's not the basket that gets Tatum going. And it was, it really was. He was unstoppable in

that second quarter. He scored fifteen points, brought down sixteen rebounds. He was really sharp in the third quarter. He was the youngest Boston Celtic player ever to have a thirty and ten game, finishing with thirty two points and thirteen rebounds twenty nine from Jayalen Brown. He was huge in the fourth quarter, kemba Walker with some finishing baskets late. He finished with nineteen and the seventy sixers lose to Boston one nine to one oh one. Via zoom. Here's

Brett Brown too to execute. The story of the game to me still isn't difficult to speak of. You start looking at their offensive rebounds. We did a better job

in the second half with turnovers. But if you just go straight to you know, the volume of points twenty one points off I would turn overs, uh sixteen off the rebounds and and really you know, al makes Alec Burks makes a free throw, it's a three point game with thirty seconds left, and I think Joe missed a tippin which would have made it a two point game, you know, given us a two from one opportunity, and

so you can't minimize the fact that losing stinks. But I feel like there are answers to the questions of why, Hey, thanks Brett, you welcome. We'll go to Mark Narducci um Brett. In the first quarter, Joel was posting and sco scoring at will, and they seemed to go away from that. Uh, is that something you would like to see more of because you had a lot of success in that first quarter. Yeah, No,

I don't agree with you. I think that part of turnovers came from, you know, getting stood up and trying to post, and part of our turnovers came when we did post. You know, we weren't crisp passing out of the post. This is the double edged sword that you have to figure out what line do you want to walk? Because you know the examples that I just gave a true and I think that there's no doubt that we want to get Joe the ball in different fluor spots.

It doesn't always have to be bullyball at the nail, where it's just a fist fight and everything gets stuck in mud. It can be at a nail. It can be pick and roll, It can be putting Alec Burke and Joel in a two man game and getting them out of a role. And so I think this overplaying. You know, the volume of just smash mouth, bullyball post up to do it all the time is comes with

some level of punishment if you're not careful. And so I look forward to going back and seeing a post passing a post, passing out of the post, delivering the ball to the post, and I think that we can improve a lot in that area. Thank you. Paul Hudrick. Hey, right when we're talking about Tata and how good he was tonight, Um, it seemed like Matisse, you know, in his first playoff game, did a pretty strong job. What did you see from him? And is that something you know?

I know last year you once you saw how good Ben was on Kauhi, you kind of stuff with that matchup. Is that something you might do going forward? I mean, for the most part short of the starting group, you know, that's how it plays out. When you look at jay Riches minutes and Matisse's minutes, they're they're completely mirrored to Kemba and Jason's and so I think that that to blow up the starting five in exchange for doing that,

I'm not prepared to say that's what's going to happen. Um. I look forward to going back and watching the table in considering that option, But at the moment, you know, I feel like it's just something I want to think more about based on what I see on the tape. Seventy six Ers loosing the Boston Celtics one O nine, one on one in Game one of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

Sixers led by as much as six. They had a great, inspired fifteen nothing run, the second half of which came with Joel Embiide on the bench bridging the third and fourth quarters. That gave them a chance, but then the Boston Celtics, behind Jalen Brown, came right back into it. The Boston Celtics went on eighteen to five run themselves.

Brown hit a big three pointer to tie up the score at eighty six, and then the key sequence, maybe not key, there were a couple of key moments, but certainly a game changing sequence that put Boston in position was the technical foul called on Al Horford, drawn by Jalon Brown. He went to the line, had two free throws to put Boston up by four. Boston got the ball back and then Jalen Brown drew a foul on a drive for the basket, hit those two free throws,

making it ninety two to eighty six. You know, I thought, yeah, the turnovers, of course, they were an issue, the Sixers committing eighteen of them that led to twenty one points for the Celtics. I also thought, I mean, it was a hard fought game. It was a spirited game, you could tell, But in some key moments, I just felt like there were some extra opportunities that Boston earned for itself. You might not look at the stat sheet and see that Boston was plus one on the offensive glass. That's

not a huge disparity. The Sixers outscored Boston on second chance points sixteen to nine. But I'm even thinking like moments where you know, Grant Williams got back to back offensive rebounds. The Sixers got lucky because Marcus Smart missed two threes. But there were just some key moments when Boston might have won the hustle battle or outworked the Sixers just a little bit to gain a key possession or another opportunity to keep the Sixers on their heels

just enough. Boston went up by ten with under four minutes to go on what felt like a backbreak Kemba Walker transition layup, but the seventy six ers got a little bit more life in the closing moments. Alec Burke's awesome game for him, I thought. He finished with eighteen points, had to put back to make it a four point game one on one ninety seven. Josh Richardson played pretty

well on the offensive end. He had a three to make it one oh three, one hundred, but Jason Tatum was able to draw the foul, get to the free throw line, and in the end Boston ice this game one oh nine to one oh one, twenty six points, sixteen rebounds for Joel and bad. He committed five of the seventy six ers eighteen turnovers. Boston, as we expected, really aggressive, bringing double teams when Joe got the ball

and made it difficult for him. Shake Milton I thought played well enough three for five from outside the arc, thirteen points, three assists. He did commit three turnovers. Tobias Harris might need a little bit more from him on the offensive end. He was six or fifteen from the floor Oh for three from outside the arc, fifteen points, eight rebounds, eight assists, Al Horford a couple of costly turnovers,

six points, seven rebounds, six assists. As I mentioned Burke's eighteen points off the bench, Mike Scott furkon corkcuse and they were scoreless off the bench, and neither of them were able to get up a three point shot. Cork Mose did not get a single shot up in seven minutes. Boston didn't get much from its bench either. Jason Tatum Jalen Brown combined for sixty one Kemba Walker added nineteen, so that's eighty out of Boston's one O nine from

their key three. And this news just in before we go to break, coming from Adrian Wodronski from ESPN, Gordon Hayward is going to undergo an MRI on a sprain right ankle tonight. According to sources, he left Game one limping in the fourth quarter. So with that report that Gordon Hayward is going to be looked at. Jalen Brown was banged up a bit during the game, but he proved to be key in closing this one. After the Celtics, Tom McGinnis had the call of this one down at

the center tonight. Tom It was an uphill battle from the seventy six Ers from the start because of the turnovers. They strung together that fifteen nothing run going into the fourth quarter to give themselves a shot. But Boston, their firepower, led by Jalen Brandon kemba walker down the stretch, turned thing in the Celtics favor. Yeah, the second and the fourth quarters hurt the Sixers. Boston outscored the Sixers in those two frames by nineteen seven in the second, thirty

to twenty three and a dozen in the fourth. And that's skewed a little bit by the foul stream. But I agree with coach Brown. I mean there are correctable errors. I mean the turnovers, you've got to be better. Any number of those turnovers in the first half, thirteen of which they were way better in the second half, came

off deflections. And that is trying to pass the ball into the post, not using a ball fake, just to kind of straight line pass where the you know, the initial defenders getting a hand on the ball or the help defender deflex and then somebody else came over and stole it. And that's just not playing with patients and not playing with a pragmatic purpose kind of if you will for the Sixers, and that cost him big time again twenty one turnovers to coach Brown's point, you know,

they got to the offensive glass. I thought that was a huge putback by Cantor. And this is going to sound a little bit like no daw but that is their team played better. They they around. They had a thirty two and twenty nine would Tatum and Brown and then Kemba stepped up big and Hayward had a nice, nice ball game, but not you know, huge numbers. But again smart even though I don't even think smart score.

He might have had two free throws, the Brown free throws, the plays by Tye and Cantor, and you know what I mean. They even Robert Williams came in there and at least he gave their big guys some rest and gave them some you know, okay minutes. And the Sixers got nice performance off the bench by Burkes. But those little things, that's what games come down to. These games.

You can game plan, you can scheme, you can you're gonna tweak things, you can make adjustments, but in the end you got to make the little plays, and they made a lot of hustle plays, and I thought that was a difference in the game. I agree with you, Tom, I mean, when I was looking through the stat sheet, like I was saying, I'm not sure if I could point to one particular stat that truly captured that sentiment, but it was just to me it was the edge

factor and Boston had a little bit more of a tonight. Yeah. I mean the Sixers outrebounding, the assists are almost identical. The fouls until the very end were very similar. Tatum got on a roll in the second fifteen points, unstoppable. He kept getting by the Sixers, he got a lot of calls, and then Jalen Brown was huge. I mean Brown with the threes, and this was after he went

out with that knee to the thigh. You know where Joel ended up getting fouled by by Jalen Brown, even though it was like I said, him incurring a knee to the side of his quadra step there. But no, And that's that's frustrating because you know, now they've got one in the books, and now you come back and we'll see Heyward, I'd be shocked if he played and again you're not supposed to speculate on injuries, but I

saw that injury. I know they took an MRI and and you know they they announced he had a sprained right ankle. But yeah, he came down pretty hard on that twist in terms of landing on on Tyson, Brown's gonna be a little bit sore. So And now getting into what coach Brown said, like the question was posed about getting away from inbad and that is the turnovers. Like I thought he was quick, he was decisive. He had five for five from the field, but Joel was

turnover prone. So that's where the Sixers didn't want to keep going back there and coming away with live ball turnovers going the other way for the Celtics and that and now you lift him out and yes he can be a factor, but again after the first quarter, you only had nine attempts the entire game, So you got to figure out a way to you know, to get him the ball down there at times, move him around it. Just again, that's where everybody feels like the Sixers have

the biggest advantage within beat. But you know, to me, this is going to be a long series. That's what I take away. This is what it could have should a game for the Sixers, but again they got to come back on Wednesday and split this thing up and get to get even and headed into the weekend. In terms of Friday and Sunday, sixers come up eight points short, one O nine one on one. Agree with you, Tom doesn't feel like the gap is too far, but just how much ground with the seventy sixers be able to

make up remain to be seen. It seems like Alec Burks can help them though eighteen points and he just he got buckets. I mean, it's kind of surprising, at least to me, where if you watched the game the eye test, it didn't really feel like a six or fifteen game for him. He seemed like he had answers for the Sixers when they were needed. And I just like his presence and his attack that he brings out there. Yeah. Absolutely, And Brian, this has been told to me, so it's

not a novel thought by me. But the playoffs are about making plays. You can X and oh, and you can strategize and do this that in the end, it comes to exceedingly talented players making plays. You know. Tonight, like I said, it was brown and Tatum and Walker for them. As expected, Joel had a big game to bias Head nice numbers and Burks is one of those guys and what he does as he takes you off the dribble and he is able to create and get

get baskets, you know what I'm saying. So, and he's proven to be a capable score particularly in the restart, like with the way he played in the eight seeding games. I know he only played seven of those eight games, and so he's become a primary ballhandler for Coach Brown, particularly off the bench. And yeah, you need that scoring. So and I thought Shake came in and made some nice field goals and you ended up being a player in the game. Same same with Josh. But you got

to curtail those turnovers. And this is an issue for the Sixers, not just in this game, but has been in postseasons of years past. They've got to shore that up and not I mean it's a double edged sword and that Boston is scoring and oh, by the way, it's an empty possession for your team, the Sixers, in

terms of not being able to score. And again you're giving them the ball in a situation where they have an odd man runout or at least they have your defense scrambling, so it's really problematic and you got to clean that up in the next game. Well put by Tom again. It's Tom. We will talk to you pregame on Wednesday. Good night, Brian think for the twenty first time in history, the seventy Sixers meeting the Boston Celtics in the postseason, and the Sixers got off to a

promising start. Joel Embiid was outside right. He goes to Horford right by Brad Stevens. He drives it along underneath the basket, puts it back out, goes to a B to B with a running start ten a slam. He didn't even put it down. He carms it with a right hand jam crushes the slam. Joel Embiad opening the game five for five from the field. That one gave the Sixers a six or two lead. This one was a pretty improbable score as well. To and beat at the top of the arc. Hands off the Josh Richardson

is going to create. He's cut off three to shoot back to a bead and be beyond the arc. Fires for three. It's up and good at the shot puck buzzer, a desperation trade and it beat with a step back.

Joel embiad with eleven points by the time he went to the bench for the first time, with two and a half minutes to go on the first quarter, seventy six ers like twenty six twenty five after one in the second, Tobias Harris keeping the seventy sixers in front, and now the sixers tied at twenty nine to the corner to Bias, he fakes, he drives, he slams baseline, moved back to Bias Harris and a two hands stuff. Great job, patience, the ball fake, drawing the Celtic defender out,

he dribble and he dunked him. Sixers back in front, thirty one, twenty nine. But after that a basket I thought was keen this game. Jason Tatum hit a triple. It looked good, It seemed like it could have been a confidence booster, and in retrospect it probably was. He put the Celtics up by the score of thirty two thirty one, and he was the man in quarter number two,

Boston by three. Halfway through the second Tatum will bring it down the near sideline with the right hand dribble, gets a screen bike tights, tell them buying three balls, shot dear and good forty percent from three on the year. Jason Tatum has a arrived. Indeed he had at that point. I made it forty one thirty five Celtics, Boston left fifty nine. I beg your part fifty forty nine. Going into intermission third quarter, let's zoom. Towards the end of

the period, seventy sixers got going. Joel and Beat helped them. But then with him Beat on the bench, the seventy sixers enjoying one of their best stretches of the night. Richardson feeding Harford against Tatum. He turns, he faces right hand, dribble into the lane, powers up of the right hand, shot you no, no, He gets his old message, scores the ball. Any bellows big out yeah, let me hear you.

It was a great moment al Horford and letting it out right there, making it a seventy nine seventy five game in favor of the Sixers. That was the score going into the fourth. Joe hit a long two to put the Sixers up eighty one seventy five. Not too long after that, Boston hit the Sixers with a run of eighteen to five, then put them in the driver's seat. Jalon Brown was a big part of it. Josh Richardson with the ball into the lane, a round Tatum block

bike Tatum from behind. Boston with the ball walk around a drive out to the left side. Brown open three on a transition. It's good a dagger Jaalen Brown knocks it down and kemba walker On Boston's next possession scored a transition lay up to make it a ten point game with under four minutes to go. Alec Burks had to keep put back to bring the Sixers within four. Josh Richardson, with the game winding down, brought the Sixers

a little bit closer. Richardson out front guard a bike Tatum and be with a high screen and smart is there smart switchers out on John's left quarterer Tobias Harris looking for it. Beat Harris with the drill ball back out the Richards He shoot the three left perimeter. It's good, richards said, poors it in and the lead now down to three. But the Boston Celtics were able to get to the line after that, and they put the game

away from there. Jason Tatum to the stripe, Kemba Walker to the stripe, Jason Tatum back to the line, and the seventy Sixers did not have enough to close the gap farther. Boston wins this one one O nine, one O one. Seventy six Ers shot forty six percent from the field, Boston just forty two percent. Six Ers nine of twenty seven from the ark, the Celtics were ten of thirty one Boston and edge from the free throw line twenty three of twenty six. Six Ers were eighteen

of twenty three Sixers plus seven on the glass. But going back to a point that Tom and I discussed, it just felt like Boston got some really key hustle rebounds, loose balls, those sorts of things that helped give them an edge. Six ers eighteen turnovers like to twenty one Boston points. Can't have that. The Celtics with just seven turnovers and the Sixers only scored seven points of those turnovers, and Boston out scoring the Sixers on the break eighteen

to eight. Joe finished with twenty six and sixteen. He had five turnovers, eighteen points for Josh Richardson and Alec Burke's fifteen for Tobias Harris, who had eight boards and eight assists, thirteen for shake Milton Matisse Thibo with five points.

He played thirty two minutes, did spend a lot of time on Jason Tatum, did a pretty good job scoreless Mike Scott and fur Con Corkmise thirty two and thirteen for Jason Tatum twenty nine points on five for eight shooting from outside the ark to Jalen Brown, who made all six of his free throws. Kemba Walker showed up late with nineteen points and five assists, twelve for Gordon Hayward, who left the arena reportedly on crutches and sprained his

right ankle. He is undergoing an MRI, according to reports. One final time, the final score it was the Boston Celtics one on nine and the seventy Sixers one oh one. Have a great rest of your Monday from all of us here at the Sixers right and ATK you've been listening to rewind, look out for fresh episodes of the Day after every seventy Sixers game this season.