ECSF: P1 | (2) Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia 76ers (3) | BOS 1-0

[FlatearthZorro]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think Stevens has taken over as the best coach in the game over Pop. This is truly getting ridiculous. Hayward goes down and Boston is not supposed to make the playoffs. Kyrie just has his best season and the youngins play great and they were on pace for the 1st seed. Kyrie goes down then the talk turns into it will be great experience for the youngins but can't expect them to score enough without Kyrie. They win that series and Brown goes down and then the talk goes to it will be very hard to take a game or two from this Philly team especially with Brown missing a game or two, they go out and kill it in game 1.

I knew he was something special in his days at Butler, but man this is truly astonishing. Semi Ojeleye and Shane Larkin combined for 40 minutes today, one is a 2nd round rookie and the other is a dude that was cut by the Nets 2 years ago and was playing in Spain last year.

I'm almost as entertained watching his adjustments and moves he makes during a game, than I am watching the game itself.

You proud of Jayson?

[estendius]

C's is a team with very good defense the 3pt line. It makes them an advantage in this series.

[Celts17Pride]

I stated before the series started Celtics in 5. Celtics defense was going to shut down Philly.

I’ve seen nothing tonight that would change my mind.

[PierceFan4ever]

You know how stupid this Simmons hype is? People not just Sixers fans here were saying he’s way better than Kyrie Irving. The disrespect. Kyrie has you on your heels every play and outdueled one of the best player of all time at his peak and averaged 30 ppg twice in the finals. He’s one of the best players come playoff time. Don’t slander his name like that until proven otherwise. Simmons is a rookie so he has time but no way is he better right now.

Did you feel this way about Kyrie when he was the Cavs roster? I recall a lot of Celtic fans slandering his name last year with the Thomas-Irving debates.

I did say Thomas was a better player last season than Irving in the regular season and he was but I’m taking Kyrie over IT anyday come playoff time and that’s what matters most at the end of the day.

[FlatearthZorro]

Rozier has been playing lights out since before Kyrie went down. Philly has no one quick enough to stay with him, so they will have to make some adjustments. It would help if they still had Isaiah Canaan or Ish Smith, but they traded Canaan away and let Smith walk for nothing. Maybe Fultz can come in and play some defense on Rozier, because no one else can keep him out of the paint-- or bother his shot for that matter.

Honestly watching this game we can abuse basically any of their defenders on the court. And that Ilyasova/Belinelli lineup looks like poop. Tatum needs to stay aggressive so does Rozier, there's absolutely nobody to guard them.

[NetsDynasty2012]

You know how stupid this Simmons hype is? People not just Sixers fans here were saying he’s way better than Kyrie Irving. The disrespect. Kyrie has you on your heels every play and outdueled one of the best player of all time at his peak and averaged 30 ppg twice in the finals. He’s one of the best players come playoff time. Don’t slander his name like that until proven otherwise. Simmons is a rookie so he has time but no way is he better right now.

Did you feel this way about Kyrie when he was the Cavs roster? I recall a lot of Celtic fans slandering his name last year with the Thomas-Irving debates.

I did say Thomas was a better player last season than Irving in the regular season and he was but I’m taking Kyrie over IT anyday come playoff time and that’s what matters most at the end of the day.

I mean either IT last year or Kyrie are better than Simmons now so it's a silly argument by that guy regardless

[StojkoVrankovic]

I am really going to cherish this game from Tatum since he is never going to improve and already hit his ceiling

[L3GEND4RY]

good luck guarding the wings once brown comes back. 20+ppg and scary defense

[K For Three]

C's have won all their home games in the playoffs so far but have yet to win on the road.

Winning game 2 is critical if we want this series.

[GreenBloodedC]

I stated before the series started Celtics in 5. Celtics defense was going to shut down Philly.

I’ve seen nothing tonight that would change my mind.

It's not just our defense. Brad also ran circles around Philly's defense. it's open look after open look, then they even played the transition. It's like he was just mocking the sixers at that time.

[Infinite Llamas]

Never forget...

[Duke4life831]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think Stevens has taken over as the best coach in the game over Pop. This is truly getting ridiculous. Hayward goes down and Boston is not supposed to make the playoffs. Kyrie just has his best season and the youngins play great and they were on pace for the 1st seed. Kyrie goes down then the talk turns into it will be great experience for the youngins but can't expect them to score enough without Kyrie. They win that series and Brown goes down and then the talk goes to it will be very hard to take a game or two from this Philly team especially with Brown missing a game or two, they go out and kill it in game 1.

I knew he was something special in his days at Butler, but man this is truly astonishing. Semi Ojeleye and Shane Larkin combined for 40 minutes today, one is a 2nd round rookie and the other is a dude that was cut by the Nets 2 years ago and was playing in Spain last year.

I'm almost as entertained watching his adjustments and moves he makes during a game, than I am watching the game itself.

You proud of Jayson?

I got no horse in this race. JJ is my favorite player all time, so I'm always going to root for him and love to see him in the finals again.

But ya Tatum has been a beast. The only thing I've ever questioned about his game is his athleticism. Never bought into the ball stopper or bad defender things people were saying pre draft. Every once in awhile I think the lack of athleticism shows, but he's so skilled that he's figuring out ways to still get his shots based on his skills.

Shout out to Semi as well. He spent a year and a half at Duke and gave one of the best practice dunks I've ever seen by a Dukie. The dude has been really great defensively, looking like a great steal for Boston, especially if he gets his jumper consistent again.

[Curmudgeon]

LOL, the TNT guys were going on about how badly the Sixers shot from beyond the arc, but Tatum, Smart and Morris were a combined 4 for 17. Smart is lucky to shoot 30%, but Tatum shot 43% for the year and Morris was 37% for the year, so those percentages will likely go up, especially if the Sixers just stand there instead of running guys off the line.

[StojkoVrankovic]

LOL, the TNT guys were going on about how badly the Sixers shot from beyond the arc, but Tatum, Smart and Morris were a combined 4 for 17. Smart is lucky to shoot 30%, but Tatum shot 43% for the year and Morris was 37% for the year, so those percentages will likely go up, especially if the Sixers just stand there instead of running guys off the line.

LOL at you expecting Shaq and Sir Charles to understand math

[London2Boston]

I knew defensively the team could definitely trouble Philly and make life difficult regardless of being undermanned, but very surprised on the other end. Was really expecting a struggle to score with the lack of firepower.

It’s only Game 1 though.

[bakesale]

If Horford, Tatum and Rozier are that on fire for the rest of the series, that's too good, nothing 76ers can do about it. But I doubt all 3 will stay that hot all the time so... I'm not too worried.

if they continue defending this way, they might get hotter, people disrespecting the Bucks big time... respec

Bucks were undeniably inconsistent.

Philly normally has one of the best defences in the NBA (better than the Buck's defence). They played poor defence today and were shell shocked by the crazy good shooting.

Also I doubt Philly goes 5/26 again, they missed a lot of wide open 3s they'd normally make.

[Prez]

Career 3rd option Jayson Tatum looked pretty good tonight.

[bakesale]

If Horford, Tatum and Rozier are that on fire for the rest of the series, that's too good, nothing 76ers can do about it. But I doubt all 3 will stay that hot all the time so... I'm not too worried.

First time to watch a Celtic game, I see.

Not at all I watched the games against Bucks, they weren't all 3 of them hot the whole series. But keep being arrogant about it.

[Prez]

If Horford, Tatum and Rozier are that on fire for the rest of the series, that's too good, nothing 76ers can do about it. But I doubt all 3 will stay that hot all the time so... I'm not too worried.

if they continue defending this way, they might get hotter, people disrespecting the Bucks big time... respec

Problem with the Bucks was absolutely idiotic coaching. Games 1-2 were classic trash ass Bucks, but then the coaches stumbled into an adjustment with the switching defense, and we actually had some success the next 4 games. But then they randomly went away from it in game 7 and got murked.

Will be interesting to see how Philly adjusts their defense for game 2, they have the pieces to replicate exactly what we did in games 3-6 and then some.

[TheGOATRises007]

It's not really an excuse.

Too much rest can be a bad thing.

Celtics came in hot from that 7 game series. Sixers came in too relaxed.

Yawn.

Sixers are in for a world of hurt if they can't get up for a playoff game.

Some of you Celtic fans are unbearable.

It wasn't a shot by any means. Just simple facts.