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“We’re not going to be perfect but we talk about having perfect intentions,” said Tatum, who scored 33 points and then donned Larry Bird-themed Celtics shorts to his postgame Zoom call. “Just having the right mind-set and trying to make the right play and playing as hard as we can and together as we can. We know we’re going to make mistakes and might miss an assignment but just regrouping and getting back on track is key during these playoffs.”
A slow start was a minor bump in the road, as the Celtics cruised to a commanding victory and 2-0 series lead against the 76ers. Despite Philly being up 13 late in the first quarter, the game was seemingly never in doubt. Unlike Game 1, the Celtics’ bench poured in 41 points, proving that the team’s depth goes significantly further than just the 6th man.
Along with outscoring Philly’s backups 14-2 in the second, they were instrumental in limiting the Sixers as a whole to just 38.1 percent shooting from the field in the quarter as the Celtics outscored them 38-24 in the second while shooting a blistering 61.9 percent from the field.
The rest, of course, was handled by the Celtics’ three-headed monster of 20 point scorers: Walker, Brown, and Tatum. The latter Celtic poured in 18 first-half points on his way to breaking his previous playoff point career high he set on Monday.
“Jayson Tatum is unbelievable, man. I have no words for him,” said Kanter. “This guy is just bringing so much, not just on the court, but bringing so much pure leadership. Every time he’s out there, he’s having fun, he’s making himself better and he’s making everybody else better around him. That’s what makes him really special.”
The takeaway from the first two Celtics playoff games is that these guys are dripping with confidence. Despite the Sixers being shorthanded, the Celtics have manhandled them with the full arsenal: star power, bench prowess, and smothering defense.
As Tatum mentioned in his post-game interview, the team isn’t going to be perfect. But a pair of wins like this to start the postseason is certainly a step in the right direction. What’s important now for the team is to build on these wins like a foundation, improving, tweaking, and encouraging every game they play. If they continue along that trend, this team is going to be hard to beat.
On Page 2… Gordon begins his rehab
“They’re aggressively treating it, multiple times a day,” Brad Stevens said prior to Game 2 Wednesday against Philadelphia. “He got in the pool a little bit today and was able to do some stuff in there, but right now we’re hopeful the swelling goes down, and we get a better idea of the next steps in the next three or four days.”
Injuries are never fun, especially when your team is playing (well) in the postseason. Hayward begins yet another rehab stint that hopefully has him back sooner than his 4-week timetable. Until then, all the Celtics can do is wait and play the way they played in Game 2.
THE REST OF THE LINKS:
MassLive: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics bench, shine in Game 2 rout of Philadelphia 76ers; 3 things we learned
NBCSN: Al Horford’s departure left Boston’s future murky, Kemba Walker arrived to brighten it
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