Celtics create unexpected conundrum for 76ers after Game 1

“I mean, obviously, part of our game plan, right?” Tatum said. “They have some really talented scorers over there and guys, especially with Maxey and George. Kelly Oubre hit five threes in the play-in game. So guys that you want to obviously get to their airspace. Playoffs is about making things tough. You can’t stop everything, and obviously they probably feel like they could shoot the ball better and things like that. But I was proud of the way that we started the game, especially on the defensive end, and it just kind of continued to carry over.”

Boston gave up an average of 39 3-point attempts per game in the regular season but the calculus has changed for this group against the Sixers lineup. With no formidable interior threats for the Sixers, the Celtics’ versatile wings and guards did not let Maxey get comfortable throughout Game 1. Elsewhere, a lack of confidence ended up burning the rest of Philadelphia’s lineup, leading to some tough questions for Nick Nurse.

“I need to look at it a little bit, but I really think there was a bunch of them we just didn’t take,” Nurse said of the Sixers 3-point attempts. “I think everybody decided they were going to pump fake and drive into the lane. I think there was some clearance for guys to take some more of them. I got to look at it a little more closely, but it was like the first thing I thought of. We got a little gun shy, which is too bad because I thought the other night I mentioned, I thought we played so free. It was almost too free, but it’s better than pump vacant and trying to drive everything when you got open threes.”

Boston’s offense will be nearly impossible to keep up all series for a team struggling with 3-point value. The Celtics will look to keep that pressure on in Game 2 as the Sixers attempt to regroup.

“Playoff energy, playoff basketball is so much fun,” Brown said. “I’m happy to be here, and great first win, but nothing is guaranteed. We’re not guaranteed to win the next game. We just got to come out and play and earn it.”

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