The Celtics bust Embiid’s return as MVP

After a painful first half, the Celtics managed to come back in the third quarter to victory

Joel Embiid has played his first match this wednesday after being elected MVPbut his Philadelphia 76ers did not have the opportunity to celebrate with victory as they were denied with a 121-87 defeat of the Boston Celtics who tied this Eastern Conference semifinal (1-1).

The Cameroonian powerhouse had missed the first game of this series due to a knee injury and, upon returning to court, added 15 points (4-of-9 shooting, 7-of-8 from personnel), 3 rebounds and 5 blocks in 27 minutes (neither of the two team figures played in the last quarter because the game had already been decided).

After their disappointment in the first game, the Celtics recovered from Wonderful and they crushed the Sixers in the second game, especially in a devastating third quarter (35-16).

Jaylen Brown (25 points) and Malcolm Brogdon from the bench (23 goals) joined efforts to cover the gray game of a Jayson Tatum with problems of absences (7 points with 1 of 7 shooting).

For his part, James Hardenafter his magnificent performance on Monday (45 points), he had a night to forget this Wednesday with 12 points and 10 rebounds with a regrettable 2 of 14 shots to the basket (0 of 6 on triples).

No player from Doc Rivers over 20 points and Sixers they racked up a dismal 6 of 30 on 3-pointers to a solid 20 of 51 for their opponents.

The series now travels to Philadelphiawhere the third game will be played on Friday.

THE FOCUS ON EMBIID

There was a lot of interest to see how Embiid returned after his read and the MVP gradually picked up pace until he scored 6 points, a rebound and 2 blocks in the first quarter.

At his side stood Harden (9 points) in about Sixers that they knew how to extract oil from their visits to the personnel line (9 out of 10).

However, the Celticsin a first period of limited success in both teams, took the lead thanks to a Brown great with 13 points (28-22).

The shooting problems continued in the second bedroom for some Sixers who began to drop on the scoreboard against some Celtics con Brogdon directing his second unit (37-26 with 9.55 for the break)

Tyrese Maxey he eased Philadelphia’s offensive logjam with 10 points in the second quarter while Embiid imposed his law on defense with 5 blocks in the first half.

For its part, Boston had to deal with a discreet Tatum who also added his third foul before the break.

But Marcus Smart I took responsibility with 13 points in the first two quarters and the Celtics left at halftime with advantage (57-49) against a very thick Sixers in triple (1 of 13).

The restart was marked by turbulence: Harden received a punch to the face de Tatum (fourth foul for the local star) and Smart momentarily went to the locker room with pain in the shoulder after a spectacular fall with Embiid.

In any case, the great protagonist of the third period was the huge success of the Celtics on the perimeter.

Going a mighty 7 of 15 on 3-pointers, Boston put together a devastating 35-16 run in that span against the Sixers no answers in defense and stagnant in attack.

Brown continued to lead the Celtics (9 points) but this time he had the great endorsement from Derrick White (10 points with 6 of 6 shooting) and Brogdon (9 points with 3 of 5 in triples).

much more stuffed in all facets of the game, the Celtics came to win 29 points in that triumphant third quarter and landed in the last 12 minutes with such a wide margin (92-65) that both coaches reserved their main men in the denouement for future bouts of greater substance.