The Celtics won Game 1 against the 76ers, but they suffered a major blow during the prize draw as they lost several weeks ahead of Gordon Hayward due to a single strain. As a result of the loss, Brad Stevens was forced to change his rotation for Game 2, causing Marcus Smart to slip to a starting point. To counter that move, Brett Brown started rookie Matisse Thybulle instead of veteran forward Al Horford.
In the first half of Game 2, the Celtics looked solid even without Hayward, and they took a 65-57 lead in the halftime locker room. Just like in Game 1, the Sixers had no answer for Jayson Tatum early in Game 2. The All-Star forward paced the Celtics with 18 points and four rebounds through 24 minutes of action. As for the Sixers, Joel Embiid appears to be on his way to a big night. The All-Star Center scored 22 points and boards in the first half. He will need some help in the second half if the Sixers want to prevent them from falling behind 2-0 in the series. Follow below for all real-time updates through the game.
