The Boston Celtics couldn't ride the momentum they built from Game 1 into Game 2 vs. the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers handled their business against the Celtics, controlling most of the game. However, it seems as though Game 2s have become Boston's kryptonite over the past three years.
No, really.
By losing to the Sixers, it has now been confirmed that Boston is 3-4 in their last seven Game 2s dating back to 2024, all of which happen to be at home.
Since 2024, the Celtics are 3-4 in Game 2s (all at home).
— Adam Bradford (@Adam_Bradford14) April 22, 2026
They are 20-5 in all other playoff games.
Petition to just cancel every Game 2 going forward?
Those losses include Miami in first round in 2024, Cleveland in the second round in 2024, New York in the second round in 2025, and of course, against Philadelphia tonight.
For what reason, who knows? But Game 2s in Boston tend to be the kiss of death for them. Tonight, the Jays did their part, but the disastrous shooting nights from Derrick White, Sam Hauser, and Payton Pritchard basically doomed the Celtics.
VJ Edgecombe breaking out and Paul George turning back the clock also pretty much sealed their fate. Whether they can do that again (and on the same night) throughout the series remains to be seen. The Sixers put up a fantastic fight, and look where it got them.
Philadelphia earned this win, but knowing the Celtics' history, this honestly wasn't too unexpected.
Typically, the Celtics recover from losses like these
It's hard to watch Boston lose to a Philadelphia team with no Joel Embiid, but the one characteristic about the Jays era without question is that they rarely lose two playoff games in a row. They did it last year against the Knicks, but that was a collapse of epic and historic proportions.
A strange wrinkle from the Celtics' star duo is that they tend to do better when their backs are up against the wall. Nothing fuels them more than playing through adversity or proving something to those who doubt them.
This series may very well go seven - Embiid's return would certainly make things a little more interesting - but Boston has never shied away from grinding it out before. Joe Mazzulla has proven that he knows how to make the proper adjustments before a big game.
The Sixers will be ready to bring it to the Celtics in Game 3. They made it clear from Game 2 that this won't be so easy for them. However, Boston has proven that they don't fold even when they take a punch. Because of their history there's no need to panic.
For now.
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