After their 109-101 game-one victory, the Boston Celtics look to go up 2-0 in this best-of-seven series tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Though the Boston Celtics only managed to accumulate a .333 winning percentage (1-3) against the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2019-20 regular season, thus far into the postseason the Cs find themselves boasting a 1-0 series lead over their Atlantic Division rivals.
It was quite a physical opening-night to the playoffs this past Monday. Even still, behind the excellence of both Jayson Tatum (32 points) and Jaylen Brown (29 points), the Celtics were able to come away with a 109-101 victory over the hobbled Sixers.
Unfortunately for Boston, however, they too were hit with injury, as Gordon Hayward wound up spraining his right ankle in the final quarter, which now will force him to be sidelined for the next four weeks.
It is a massive blow for sure, but the games must go on, as there are still at least three more outings in this best-of-seven series.
As for their opponent in the 76ers, they’ll likely be coming out with something to prove tonight in game-two. Despite Joel Embiid‘s dominance — 26 points, 16 boards, two steals, and a block — and Alec Burks & Josh Richardson‘s offensive excellence — 18 points apiece — Philly still couldn’t find a way to get things done.
They’ll likely look to pull out all the stops to make up for their prior shortcomings.
With this in mind, the Boston Celtics themselves will need to bring their A-game if they wish to win the outing themselves, and there are three specific keys to securing a 2-0 lead: