The Boston Celtics evened the score in the Eastern Conference Semifinals Wednesday night, earning a loud 121-87 Game 2 victory and knotting the series at one game apiece with the Philadelphia 76ers. A 34-point victory helps erase some of the frustrations that came from Monday’s Game 1 clunker, and now the action heads down I-95 to Philly this weekend.
The Sixers welcomed back newly-minted MVP Joel Embiid into the fold, who is dealing with an LCL injury and missed Game 1 entirely. This obviously changed things on both ends for Philadelphia in a very big way, who traded spacing for more muscle and size. Embiid ended the game with 15 points and 3 rebounds, as well as 5 blocks, simply not enough to help the Sixers grab a win.
Importantly, Embiid’s return also changed how the Celtics approached the game, and the style and tenor from Boston in this one was noticeably more physical than what we saw on Monday night. This was especially true on the defensive end, where the Celtics were aggressive and physical right from the jump.
In the end, a more truculent defensive attack paired with another efficient night scoring the ball helped ice an easy Celtics victory. Here’s what you may have missed from Boston’s Game 2 win over the 76ers.
Can you name them all without checking first? https://t.co/Zd92EHjuYs
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) May 4, 2023