NBA (Play

On the occasion of the first game of the series, Boston took advantage of home court to dominate Philadelphia (123-91). The Celtics have started their playoffs perfectly. Second in the Eastern Conference, the New England franchise achieved a very large victory during their match against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first game of the series. While Tyrese Maxey’s teammates (21 points, 8 assists) initially held on in the game, they were never able to take the lead on the scoreboard. Thanks to a 14-2 run led by Jayson Tatum (25 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists), the Celtics opened up a significant lead of thirteen points. Despite a comeback attempt, the Sixers narrowed the deficit to under ten points.

However, they ended the first quarter falling further behind by fifteen points. Although the start of the second quarter seemed to suggest a change in momentum, it did not last long. Dominating effortlessly, Joe Mazzulla’s protégés quickly exceeded a 20-point lead. As halftime approached, the Sixers managed to reduce the deficit to 18 points thanks to a last-minute basket by VJ Edgecombe (13 points). Back on the TD Garden court, the Celtics did not maintain the same intensity, allowing the Philadelphia players to remain relatively close.

Nevertheless, a surge by the Boston players led by Jaylen Brown (26 points) helped them regain a lead surpassing 20 points. The final quarter turned into a nightmare for the 76ers, who could only score four points in nearly five minutes. On the other end of the court, the Celtics did not ease up. The result was a lead exceeding 30 points for the first time in the game. Without letting up, Neemias Queta’s teammates (13 points) secured a convincing victory to start the series (123-91). They will need to confirm this result starting this Monday in the second game, again at the TD Garden.