The Boston Celtics began their postseason the way top seeds imagine it: with control, with force, and with very little suspense by the end. In Game 1 of their first-round series on Sunday, Boston routed the Philadelphia 76ers 123-91 at TD Garden, taking a 1-0 lead and delivering the largest playoff-opening win in franchise history. Jayson Tatum finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in his first playoff game since last season’s Achilles injury, while Jaylen Brown led Boston with 26 points.
What made the performance feel so definitive was not just the margin, but the shape of it. Boston did not need one overwhelming superstar eruption to seize the opener. Instead, the Celtics looked like a team built for this time of year: layered, balanced and too deep for a compromised opponent to survive. Philadelphia was already entering the series without Joel Embiid, and once Boston’s offense found its rhythm, the gap in structure and firepower became impossible to ignore.
The Sixers had moments early, and Tyrese Maxey continued to fight, finishing with 21 points and eight assists. Paul George added 17, and rookie V.J. Edgecombe contributed 13 in his playoff debut. But there was a difference between competing and truly threatening. Boston kept stretching the floor, moving the ball, and turning the game into something Philadelphia had neither the bodies nor the offensive clarity to match. By the second half, the contest had become less about whether the Celtics would win and more about how emphatically they would announce themselves.
That, ultimately, was the message of the afternoon. Boston did not merely defend home court; it looked fully at ease in the role of favorite.
