By Anietie anii-bassey
Jayson Tatum made an emphatic return to postseason basketball Sunday, finishing with 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists as the Boston Celtics cruised to a commanding 123-91 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
Playing in his first playoff game since suffering a ruptured right Achilles tendon last season, Tatum looked sharp from the opening tip. The Celtics star scored 21 points in the first half alone and showed little hesitation attacking the basket, including a powerful two-handed dunk in the first quarter that energized the Boston crowd.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 26 points, while Neemias Queta added 13 points off the bench as Boston’s depth and balanced scoring overwhelmed Philadelphia. The Celtics never trailed in the game and built a lead that stretched to as many as 35 points.
Boston’s offense was firing on all cylinders throughout the night. The Celtics knocked down 16 shots from beyond the arc and moved the ball effectively, allowing coach Joe Mazzulla to comfortably rotate through 12 players. The second-seeded Celtics controlled the pace from the outset and turned the game into a rout long before the fourth quarter.
The Celtics opened the game with a dominant first quarter, taking a 33-18 lead behind Tatum’s early scoring burst. Philadelphia had no answer for Boston’s aggressive offense and struggled to match its shooting efficiency.
By halftime, Boston had built a 64-46 advantage, marking Philadelphia’s largest halftime deficit in a playoff game against the Celtics since 1982.
Philadelphia’s problems started early and never let up. The 76ers were without Joel Embiid, who continues to recover from an appendectomy performed on April 9. The former league MVP remains sidelined, and there is still no clear timeline for his return.
Without Embiid anchoring the middle, Philadelphia struggled to defend Boston inside. Backup centers Adem Bona and Andre Drummond each picked up two fouls early in the game, forcing coach Nick Nurse to turn to Dominick Barlow sooner than expected. Barlow had played only 10 minutes in the 76ers’ play-in win over Orlando but was needed to help stabilize the frontcourt rotation.
Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 21 points and eight assists, but he faced relentless pressure from Boston’s defense all night. The Celtics contested 12 of Maxey’s 14 shot attempts in the first half and limited his efficiency, holding him to 8-for-20 shooting overall.
Paul George added 17 points for Philadelphia, while V.J. Edgecombe scored 13. The 76ers had major issues from long range, finishing just 4-for-23 from 3-point range as Boston’s defense consistently closed out on shooters and forced difficult attempts.
The victory gives Boston a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, with Game 2 scheduled for Tuesday night in Boston.
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