Boston Celtics: 5 half-time observations for Game 3 against 76ers

The Boston Celtics lead the Philadelphia 76ers at halftime, 51-49. The Houdini calls it as we see it with these five observations.

So far, so good Boston Celtics fans. The C’s lead the Philadelphia 76ers at halftime, but it has been back and forth early.

Here’s some observations from Game 3:

1. The Boston Celtics can survive in this series with Tatum on the bench

Jayson Tatum has played just eight minutes fo far tonight because of three early fouls. Even still, his 2/7 shooting has held the C’s back more than it has propelled them tonight.

Luckily, the team has been able to survive on the strength of his co-stars in Jaylen Brown and Kemba Walker.

2. Embiid can’t be stopped in this series

Joel Embiid already has accumulated a double-double, currently tallying 22 points and 10 rebounds to go along with a block. Simply put, he is not going to be stopped this series…and it may not make a difference anyway.

3. Boston’s perimeter defense has been dominant

So far, Philadelphia is struggling to make open shots from the perimeter, shooting a ghastly 3/18 from the field. While missing Ben Simmons doesn’t improve that shooting total, he does create better looks.

So far, the 76ers are just missing their looks because they don’t have shot-makers that properly space the floor.

4. Enes Kanter is a worthy matchup with Embiid

Enes Kanter has stepped up in a big way today, scoring six points including a pair of free-throw line jumpers to go along with five boards. He has held his own physically against Embiid, and has proven to be just as effective on the big-man as Daniel Theis is (ie. not very).

5. Philadelphia won’t win a game without a secondary scorer

Embiid is not going to be able to win this series on his own. In fact, if he does not get any support from the other starters–or really anyone in the rotation–Philadelphia won’t win a game.

We will see how many double-digit scorers the 76ers end up with.