Previewing Boston Celtics-Philadelphia 76ers Game 2 Round 1

The Boston Celtics will be on a much more even playing field with the loss of Gordon Hayward in this series — but will it be enough for a Sixers win?

If you thought Game 1 of the first round series between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers was physical, just wait until Game 2.

After losing veteran forward Gordon Hayward to a severe ankle sprain in Game 1, the Philadelphia 76ers will look to even the series 1-1 with the Celtics’ rotations having fewer potential answers to how they approach dealing with the force of nature that is 76ers center Joel Embiid.

How Boston chooses to replace that loss may also dictate the response from Philly, who could stick with the same approach as last game if a wing or forward is added to the starting lineup for Boston to replace Hayward’s minutes.

It could also see them move Al Horford to the bench if Marcus Smart is deemed the more likely replacement in the starting lineup.

Whatever response we see from Philadelphia, it will be designed with capitalizing on the loss of shooting and versatility missing the Butler product presents, as well as ball-handling, to a lesser extent.

While Boston is used to losing Hayward for stretches, a hungry Sixers squad and more minutes for Marcus Smart introduces the same variance that plagues the Texan guard’s shooting, meaning a bad night on his end could make for an easy Philly win.

Then again perhaps not, given the Celtics have rarely shot the 3-ball worse than they did in Game 1, where they shot an abysmal 32.2 % from deep as a team.

Theis will connect more often, and almost certainly Smart also, who went 0-for-3 from deep and 0-from-5 overall, and while having Hayward — and especially Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown — certainly saved the game, it seems unlikely Boston will have more than one more game shooting so poorly in this series, if that.

Another factor that could prove critical is Kemba Walker, who, despite 19 points and 5 assists, went 0-for-5 from deep, and more from the yips than any kind of lift or burst issue with his knee, which looked fine.

On the injury front, both teams have significantly important players out now with Hayward joining Philly’s Ben Simmons (knee) as a scratch for this series and likely the one after, should either advance.

The Celtics dodged a bullet after a hip pointer from Embiid impeded Brown’s ability to play late in Game 1, with the possibility of the injury tightening up ahead of Game 2.

The Georgia native is listed as probable for today’s contest, though Sixers guard Glenn Robinson III is out, oddly enough with a very similar injury — an oblique muscle strain.

If Philly is going to make this a series, this game is a must-win for them, and that increased importance and Hayward’s loss is reflected in the spread being granted Boston by most online bookmakers, now just -4.5 in most cases.

Our prediction is Boston still comes away with the win, this one a high-scoring nail-biter — 121-119 Celtics.

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