The Boston Celtics are proving a team can win in the playoffs even without its best players around
The Boston Celtics take Game 1 from the Philadelphia 76ers, 117-101, at the TD Garden on Monday night. Already playing without their top two stars in Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, Brad Stevens’ side also missed Jaylen Brown. Nevertheless, the team’s “next man up” mentality prevailed over the up-and-coming, and previously red-hot, Sixers.
With no Irving and Hayward, backup point guard Terry Rozier and rookie Jayson Tatum led the way for the Celtics. The duo scored 29 and 28 points respectively while combining for 11 boards and eight assists.
Second-tier All-Star Al Horford remains as a steady presence with 26 points, seven rebounds, and four assists on 10-for-12 shooting. Marcus Morris contributed 11 points, five rebounds, one assist, and one block coming off the bench.
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Slipping Sixers?
It is really hard to tell because it was just one game. Ben Simmons himself admitted that the Sixers are rusty after a long layoff following their first-round victory over the Miami Heat.
Despite being the No. 3 seed, the Sixers are slightly favored to win over the No. 2 seed Celtics. A healthy Joel Embiid and Simmons evidently puts the team ahead in the talent department. Even though Simmons is not yet an All-Star, his play and on-court demeanor undoubtedly display him as such.
Embiid played great, scoring 31 points and hauling down 13 rebounds with five assists. Simmons finished with 18 points, seven boards, six dimes, two steals, and one block in another incredible all-around performance. However, their supporting cast, except for veteran wingman J.J. Redick, did not show up.
Role players currently steer the ship
Boston may have led the season series, 3-1, but they did it with Irving around. Philly actually led the Celtics in almost every statistical category during the regular season. But their Game 1 win proved that the playoffs are of a different stage and winning does not always depend on the availability of your All-Stars.
Rozier has been a revelation all season as he continues to show vast improvement. He averaged 5.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.6 steals in 17.1 minutes per game last season. This time, the third-year player produced career-highs of 11.3 points, 4.7 boards, 2.9 assists, and 1.0 steals in 25.9 minutes a night.
What a move by Rozier! https://t.co/vkpalGedu9
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 1, 2018
Meanwhile, Tatum is one of the best rookies this season. Although Simmons and Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell reportedly lead the race for the Rookie of the Year award, Tatum is not far behind.
Last year’s third overall pick averaged 13.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.0 steals in 30.5 minutes a game. But his role in the squad is noticeably not as prominent as that of Simmons or Mitchell.
If Rozier and Tatum remain consistent, then the Celtics’ chances to reach the conference finals increase. Brown will reportedly return from his hamstring injury in Game 2 on Thursday. From there, they could take a comfortable lead heading to Philadelphia for Game 3.
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The Boston Celtics should not rest on their laurels yet. Embiid, Simmons, and the Sixers are known to come back aggressively after a defeat. When they do, the team’s role players will once again be tested.