On Wednesday, in their second round playoff clash, the Boston Celtics evened the score with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics tied the series with a comfortable 121-87 victory.
Game 3 of the series will be played on Friday night in Philly. Who will come out on top? Game time is 7:30 p.m. EDT, and the venue is the Wells Fargo Center.
Injury Update for Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers
The Celtics were stunned in Game 1, as the Sixers rode a vintage performance by James Harden to a 119-115 victory over the Celtics, putting them up 1-0 in the series.
It was shocking not only because the Celtics were playing at home, but also because the Sixers were missing league MVP and leading scorer Joel Embiid. The Celtics were careless on defense, and the Sixers took advantage and won.
However, the Celtics defense was locked in from the outset of game 2. It had to be because Embiid was scheduled to play in Game 2. The Celtics’ defense was outstanding, as the team cruised to a 121-87 victory.
It was an unusual game because Jayson Tatum, who averaged 30 points per game, was fouled out and only played 19 minutes, scoring only 7 points.
However, Jaylen Brown (25 points) and Malcolm Brogdon (23 points) picked up the slack.
Joel Embiid wasn’t expected to play in Game 2 because he was considered uncertain. However, by the afternoon of game day, word had spread that Embiid would play in game 3.
Following the Sixers’ surprising win on Monday, the Sixers were clearly going for the knockout punch by bringing Embiid back for game 2. Winning the first two games on the road would be a huge step forward for the Celtics.
But the Sixers couldn’t pull it off, as the Celtics easily won 121-87.
While Embiid was fine, he didn’t have much of an impact.
In 26 minutes, he only had 15 points and 3 rebounds. His presence was best noticed on defense, when he had 5 blocks, but the Celtics made 20 three-pointers, so he wasn’t much assistance there.
Due to a right knee strain, Embiid is questionable for Game 3 on Friday.
After missing the previous two games due to a knee injury, Embiid played 27 minutes in Wednesday’s blowout loss. The MVP center’s involvement in practice, on the other hand, is a favorable indicator for his availability on Friday.
If Embiid is ruled out, Paul Reed will most likely start again at center.
- Read also: Joel Embiid injury status of the 76ers
James Harden finished Game 2 with 12 points (2-14 FG, 0-6 3Pt, 8-10 FT), 10 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Harden struggled from the field and finished with more field-goal attempts than points scored, but the star guard salvaged his fantasy day by rebounding well.
Harden has taken a significant step back after scoring 45 points in Game 1, and he will seek to rebound in Game 3 at home.
