Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics bench, shine in Game 2 rout of Philadelphia 76ers; 3 things we learned

The Philadelphia 76ers came out hot, again, but they wilted against the Boston Celtics defense and were blown out in Game 2 of their opening round series, 128-101. Jayson Tatum shot 12-for-20, including 8-for-12 on 3-pointers, to finished with 33 points. He also had 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Jaylen Brown finished with 20 points and Kemba Walker had 22.

Here’s how it went:

The Sixers came out hot again, hitting 10 of their first 12 shots. Boston, meanwhile, shot about 27 percent over that same stretch and only kept it close by getting to the free throw line. The Celtics made a move once the Sixers got cold, closing the quarter on 9-2 run as Philly only hit 4 of their next 9. The Sixers did a much better job of taking care of the ball, only turning it over once in the first quarter. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combined for 20 of Boston’s 27 points.

The Celtics opened the second quarter on a 15-5 run (including 12 straight points) as Tatum carried a lineup that included Brand Wanamaker, Romeo Langford, Grant Williams, and Enes Kanter. The Sixers also cooled off significantly, helping fuel Boston’s comeback. The run extended to 25-8 to take a 13 point lead. Kemba Walker scored 13 points, many of them later in the quarter. Philly made a small run and the Celtics halftime lead was 8.

Boston stormed out of the half on a 9-2 run to open their lead to 15, the biggest of the game to this point. The Sixers came out cold and looked frustrated halfway through the quarter as Boston pushed the lead to 20. The Celtics switched to a zone defense for a lot of the third quarter and it completely confused the Sixers. Philadelphia cut it to 16 after some lazy play, but Boston came out of a timeout with a pair of 3 1/4 u2032s from Langford and Tatum sandwiched around a stop to make it a 22 point game. The lead was 23 going into the fourth.

Philadelphia tried a full court press in an effort to make a run, but they stretched themselves too thin and they let Boston get open shots. If the shots didn’t fall, Kanter was there to tip them in and keep the Sixers at bay. The Sixers never challenged in the quarter, and they had no answer for Tatum, who by this point seemed to be showing off.

What went right?

The Boston Celtics bench gave the game exactly what it needed. When the Celtics were down, Stevens threw four bench players around Jayson Tatum and they played strong, physical defense, getting up into perimeter players and taking away some of the easier looks the Sixers were getting. Grant Williams played perfectly, setting picks, playing defense, grabbing rebounds, and hitting open 3-pointers.

Enes Kanter came in and played Embiid very well. Embiid couldn’t get to the spots he wanted and started to settle for more jumpers. Unlike the first quarter, they stopped falling later in the game. Kanter had his usual game crashing to offensive glass, and he even hit an end-of-shot clock 3-pointer.

The adjustment to go to the zone in the third quarter worked wonders for Boston. That kept Daniel Theis on the floor but also prevented Embiid from getting comfortable. Once again, Embiid had a game that looked great on paper, but outside of the first quarter, he never dominated.

The Celtics had a knack for hitting big shots at critical moments. Jaylen Brown hit an early 3 to keep the hot Sixers from pulling away early. Langford’s 3 in the third halted a Sixers run in its tracks.

The Celtics took care of the ball incredibly well. They only turned it over four times before garbage time.

What went wrong?

Nothing? OK we can throw that first quarter in here to nitpick, but aside from a couple of short lapses the Celtics were never threatened in this game after opening up a 20 point lead.

Things we learned

1. The Sixers are a mess

They were the sexy preseason pick to make the NBA Finals. Poaching Al Horford from the Celtics was supposed to give them a good center to back up or play alongside with Embiid and eliminate an obstacle who defended him well. Instead, it turned out to be a bad fit. They never figured it out and their season seems about to come to an end with a resounding thud. A lot of people have said this Sixers team reminds them of last year’s Celtics, and you can see why. They just don’t have the heart to match the talent.

2. The Celtics might want to start Enes Kanter

He just guarded Embiid very well throughout the game. Considering his hot starts, Boston might want to start the game with Kanter and have Theis come in for most of the non-Embiid minutes. Kanter won’t be playable in every series, but this might be the spot to start him.

3. Philadelphia has no one to defend Jayson Tatum

Sorry, Matisse Thybulle. You’re a great defender, especially for a rookie, but you’re both not ready, and not big enough to bother Tatum. We knew the loss of Ben Simmons would hurt the Sixers most on the defensive end, and Tatum’s first two games are all the proof we need to know that’s true.

Related Content

Gordon Hayward injury: Boston Celtics have ‘tremendous confidence’ in young players who join the rotation

Gordon Hayward injury: Boston Celtics wing out approximately four weeks with severe ankle sprain

Jayson Tatum ‘can’t stress enough’ how special Jaylen Brown is for Boston Celtics

———

©2020 MassLive.com, Springfield, Mass.

Visit MassLive.com, Springfield, Mass. at www.masslive.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.