Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics
· East 1st Round - Game 1Jayson Tatum has strong return to playoffs for Celtics, who rout 76ers 123-91 in Game 1
Jaylen Brown scored 26 points and Neemias Queta added 13 for the second-seeded Celtics.
Tatum scored 21 points in the first half, playing in just his 17th game this season following surgery last May to repair his Achilles tendon.
“I’m still rehabbing,” Tatum said. “I still attack rehab every single day except for when we have off days. ... Still trying to ramp up.”
Boston never trailed, building a 35-point lead as coach Joe Mazzulla gave minutes to 12 players. The Celtics connected on 16 3-pointers.
“That was Celtics basketball,” Brown said. “We’ve been the harder-playing team all year. That can’t change now that the playoffs have started.”
Game 2 is Tuesday night in Boston.
Tyrese Maxey had 21 points and eight assists for the 76ers, who played without Joel Embiid. The 2023 MVP continues to recover following an appendectomy on April 9. It's unclear when he will be able to return.
Paul George scored 17 points and V.J. Edgecombe added 13. Philadelphia was 4 of 23 from 3-point range.
Maxey was hounded by a Celtics defense that contested 12 of his 14 shot attempts in the first half and held him to 8 of 20 from the field.
Philadelphia’s 64-46 halftime deficit was its largest in a playoff game against Boston since 1982. Coach Nick Nurse called the Sixers' effort “absolutely unacceptable.”
“We just didn't do enough at either end to settle into the game,” he said.
Tatum had 10 first-quarter points, punctuated with an emphatic two-handed dunk, to help the Celtics end the period with a 33-18 lead.
Philadelphia struggled at the outset to keep pace with Boston’s shooting, making one of its first nine attempts from 3. The Sixers also had issues keeping Boston out of the paint after Embiid's understudies, Adem Bona and Andre Drummond, each picked up two quick fouls.
That prompted Nurse to bring in Dominick Barlow, who played just 10 minutes in Philadelphia's play-in victory over Orlando.
Regular Season Series
Series tied 2-2
Recent Plays
| 4th 0.0 |  |
End of Game | 91 - 123 |
| 4th 0.0 | |
End of the 4th Quarter | 91 - 123 |
| 4th 11.6 |  |
shot clock turnover | 91 - 123 |
| 4th 36.5 | |
Hugo Gonzalez defensive rebound | 91 - 123 |
| 4th 38.1 |  |
Quentin Grimes misses 24-foot three point pullup jump shot | 91 - 123 |
Statistics
 PHI |
 BOS |
|
|---|---|---|
| 35-90 | FG | 45-90 |
| 39 | Field Goal % | 50 |
| 4-23 | 3PT | 16-44 |
| 17 | Three Point % | 36 |
| 17-23 | FT | 17-22 |
| 74 | Free Throw % | 77 |
| 40 | Rebounds | 43 |
| 11 | Offensive Rebounds | 5 |
| 29 | Defensive Rebounds | 38 |
| 20 | Assists | 31 |
| 3 | Steals | 7 |
| 1 | Blocks | 3 |
| 14 | Turnovers | 8 |
| 1 | Team Turnovers | 2 |
| 15 | Total Turnovers | 10 |
| 1 | Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 1 | Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 22 | Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 3 |
| 10 | Fast Break Points | 20 |
| 58 | Points in Paint | 42 |
| 20 | Fouls | 21 |
| 0 | Largest Lead | 35 |
| 0 | Lead Changes | 0 |
| 0 | Percent Led | 99 |
Boston Celtics Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Devin Carter, G | Out | Oct 18 |
Philadelphia 76ers Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Jaylen Brown, G | Day-To-Day | Oct 30 |
| Jabari Walker, F | Out | Oct 29 |
| Tacko Fall, C | Out | Oct 27 |
| Dominick Barlow, F | Out | Oct 19 |
| Ariel Hukporti, C | Out | Oct 6 |
Game Information
Location: Boston, MA
Attendance: 19,156 · Capacity:
2026-27 Atlantic Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Philadelphia |
5 | 1 | .833 | - | W2 |
 Boston |
4 | 1 | .800 | 0.5 | W4 |
 Toronto |
3 | 2 | .600 | 1.5 | L1 |
 New York |
2 | 4 | .333 | 3 | L1 |
 Brooklyn |
0 | 5 | .000 | 4.5 | L5 |
NBA News
San Antonio hosts Minnesota after overtime win against Utah
Minnesota Timberwolves (4-2, seventh in the Western Conference) vs. San Antonio Spurs (3-2, eighth in the Western Conference)
Pacers take on the Nets on 3-game skid
Brooklyn Nets (0-5, 15th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Indiana Pacers (2-4, 11th in the Eastern Conference)
Charlotte plays conference foe Philadelphia
Philadelphia 76ers (5-1, second in the Eastern Conference) vs. Charlotte Hornets (3-3, seventh in the Eastern Conference)
Celtics play the Magic, look for 5th straight victory
Boston Celtics (4-1, third in the Eastern Conference) vs. Orlando Magic (2-3, ninth in the Eastern Conference)
Stephen Curry scores 31 points and outduels Luka Doncic as Warriors come back to beat Lakers 112-95
— Stephen Curry had 31 points, six assists and four rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors erased an early 25-point deficit then ran away from Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers for a 112-95 win Friday night in an NBA Cup game.