Celtics achieve multiple NBA Playoffs feats in Game 1 vs. 76ers originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Celtics are 15 more wins away from raising a 19th banner. While that is still very far, their performance against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first game of the NBA Playoffs were a masterclass in team chemistry. This is why Coach Joe Mazzulla, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum made all sorts of postseason records in this 123-91 Game 1 win.
To start, Jayson Tatum knocked down nine of his 17 field goal attempts to score 25 points. This scoring outburst against the 76ers helped him rank fifth all-time in getting the most 25-point games in Eastern Conference NBA Playoffs history. Only Dwyane Wade, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James are ahead of him in that postseason record.
Not to mention, the Celtics superstar also ties Nikola Jokic and Russell Westbrook in that same feat.
Moreover, Jaylen Brown also reached a historic feat in Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs' first round. He went ballistic by sinking 11 of his 21 field goal attempts to score 26 points. The Celtics MVP candidate now ranks 10th among all active players in most points scored in the NBA Playoffs, via StatMuse.
To top it all off, Coach Joe Mazzulla was an insane mastermind against the 76ers. He placed nearly all of his players in positions to score in the perimeter while also preventing their opponents from getting the same looks. This led to 10 Celtics making a three as they made 16 shots from behind the arc. The amount of Celtics notching a three-pointer was more than the four total shots from the perimeter made by the 76ers.
A lot of effort went into this Celtics team entering the NBA Playoffs. They made Tatum recover and look like his former self after an Achilles injury. Brown has evolved into a top option after seeing guys like Isaiah Thomas, Kyrie Irving, and Gordon Hayward take the lead in his earlier years. Coach Mazzulla has also removed all doubts about his coaching style despite getting compared to Ime Udoka a lot or getting assessed through his post-game pressers.
If it happens, raising the Celtics' 19th banner by the end of the NBA Playoffs has been an effort of a village that spans worldwide. This is why it's different here.