Celtics throttle 76ers 121-87 in Game 2 to even series despite the return of NBA MVP Joel Embiid; takeaways

The series is now tied at 1-1

After dropping the first game of the series, the Boston Celtics were able to bounce back in Game 2 against the Philadelphia 76ers in a major way. The main storyline heading into the game was the return of freshly-minted MVP Joel Embiid, but the big man's return didn't translate to success for the Sixers on this night. 

The Celtics snagged the lead early on in the game and they never relinquished it. Boston took an eight point lead into the halftime locker room, and that advantage had ballooned to 27 by the time the third quarter was over. At that point the game was basically over, and the Celtics went on to pull out a 121-87 victory. The series is now tied 1-1, and it will shift to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4 this weekend.

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics in Game 2 with 25 points, four assists and three rebounds, add Malcolm Brodgon added 23 points and six rebounds off of the bench. Jayson Tatum had a bit of a frustrating game due to foul trouble, and he finished with just seven points in 19 minutes. The Celtics didn't need more from him in this one, though, as they had five other players score at least 12 points.  

After an epic 45-point performance in Game 1, James Harden struggled in the second game of the series. He shot just 2-of-14 from the floor and finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Embiid scored 15 points and grabbed three rebounds in his 27 minutes of action, but his return obviously didn't go as he would have hoped. He looked decently healthy, at least, which is a silver lining for the Sixers. 

The Celtics showed some resilience and responded from a loss, now it will the Sixers turn to do the same. Game 3 is set for Friday night in Philadelphia. Before moving ahead to that game, here's three key takeaways from Boston's big Game 2 victory. 

Boston bombed away

The three-point line is a major difference-maker in the NBA today, and in Game 1, it was the Sixers who won the 3-point battle, as they outscored Boston by 21 points from beyond the arc. As a team, the Celtics made just 10 triples on 26 attempts in that game. Heading into Game 2, head coach Joe Mazzulla said the game plan was for the team to get up more attempts from long range, and that's exactly what they did. 

Over the course of the contest, the Celtics attempted 51 3-pointers, and they converted on 20 of them -- double the amount they made in the first game. Meanwhile, the Sixers made just six such shots (on 30 attempts). That's a staggering disparity of 42 points, and it proved to be the difference in this game. Seven different Celtics players hit at least one shot from deep, led by Malcolm Brogdon, who had six off of the bench. 

So far in this series, the team that has controlled the 3-point line has come out on top. We'll see if that trend continues moving forward.

Brogdon backing up his hardware 

Malcolm Brodgon was named the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year this season, and so far this series he's shown exactly why. In Game 1, Brogdon tallied 20 points, three rebounds and three assists off of the wood for Boston. The Celtics weren't able to get the win, but Brogdon certainly did his thing. In Game 2, he again provided Boston with some consistent scoring in a reserve role. He had 23 points, six rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes of action. 

Brogdon has shot 16 of 31 from the field and eight of 16 from long range over the first two games and he has been a positive X-factor for Boston. 

Boston had twice as many assists as Philadelphia 

The Celtics had 26 assists as a team in Game 2, while the Sixers had just 13 -- their fewest in any game this season -- and that stat is pretty indicative of the way the game went. While the Celtics were able to move the ball and generate open opportunities, the Sixers struggled to get good looks. Their offense appeared to be stuck in the mud for long stretches of action, and the aggressive versions of James Harden and Tyrese Maxey that we saw in the first game didn't really show up the same in the second game. Plus, the Celtics tried not to double Embiid, which limited the open assist opportunities for Philly. In Game 3, the Sixers need to do a better job of moving the ball around and making Boston's defense work. 

[May 3, 2023 at 10:21 pm ET · Michael Kaskey-Blomain]

Embiid scored 15 points and grabbed three rebounds in his 27 minutes of action, but his return obviously didn't go as he would have hoped. He looked decently healthy, at least, which is a silver lining for the Sixers.   

[May 3, 2023 at 10:17 pm ET · Michael Kaskey-Blomain]

That's all she wrote. Series tied at 1-1. Game 3 set for Friday night in Philadelphia. 

[May 3, 2023 at 10:15 pm ET · Michael Kaskey-Blomain]

Jayson Tatum had a bit of a frustrating game due to foul trouble, and he finished with just seven points in 19 minutes. The Celtics didn't need more from him in this one, though, as they had five other players score at least 12 points. 

[May 3, 2023 at 10:14 pm ET · Michael Kaskey-Blomain]

Boston fans should feel pretty good about the way their team responded tonight. 

[May 3, 2023 at 10:05 pm ET · Michael Kaskey-Blomain]

Celtics with a 30 point lead with 5 minutes remaining. Put a bow on this one. 

[May 3, 2023 at 10:03 pm ET · Michael Kaskey-Blomain]

Some extended garbage time here for both teams, which also means some added rest for most of the key contributors on both sides. 

[May 3, 2023 at 9:51 pm ET · Michael Kaskey-Blomain]

We probably won't see Joel Embiid any more in this game. No real reason for him to risk making his injury worse in a game that seems pretty well out of reach. 

[May 3, 2023 at 9:48 pm ET · Michael Kaskey-Blomain]

There's still another quarter to play, but this one is over. Barring one of the greatest comebacks in NBA history, this series will be going to Philadelphia tied at 1-1. 

[May 3, 2023 at 9:43 pm ET · Michael Kaskey-Blomain]

Boston is just playing tougher and more physical than Philadelphia in this one. Sixers aren't going to win unless they dial the effort up. 

[May 3, 2023 at 9:41 pm ET · Michael Kaskey-Blomain]

This shot did everything but go in for James Harden. 

[May 3, 2023 at 9:40 pm ET · Michael Kaskey-Blomain]

Marcus Smart is back on Boston's bench after heading to the locker room. That's a good sign for the Celtics. 

[May 3, 2023 at 9:38 pm ET · Michael Kaskey-Blomain]

There were a lot of people who thought that the Sixers should have sat Embiid for this game after they were able to pull out a win in Game 1, and the performance so far likely isn't going to change their mind. However, there's also the argument to be made that it's good for Embiid to get the first game back under his belt so his can build off of it and become increasingly comfortable over the course of the series. 

[May 3, 2023 at 9:37 pm ET · Michael Kaskey-Blomain]

Philadelphia's offense just seems to be stuck in the mud right now. They're not running anything with much intensity or purpose.