Mar 6, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) reacts after his three point basket against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Jayson Tatum sleep-walked to 35 points as the short-handed Sixers rolled over for the short-handed Boston Celtics.
Here's what I saw.
- Kelly Oubre Jr. can be a black hole on both ends of the floor, but that dude plays with pride. He certainly has his warts, but he's one of the few on this team consistently fighting. The Sixers were down double digits basically the whole night, but Oubre treated the game as an opportunity rather than a formality of his job.
- Quentin Grimes has been better about gambling for steals, picking safer opportunities lately than he was when he first arrived in Philadelphia. Gambling on a pass to Derrick White, the night after he laced nine triples and went for 41 points, is decidedly not a good decision.
- Oubre committed a reach-in foul on Drew Peterson (who?) when he had his back turned to the basket above the three-point arc. What could possibly elicit such a decision?
- Philadelphia dug itself a nice hole early on with bad fundamentals guarding the ball. All it took was ball fakes to get the Sixers jumping out of position and on the hips of ball-handlers, conceding driving lanes with the paint open. It was way too easy for the Celtics to get to the rim. And if the nearest Sixer rotated to protect the basket, the driver made the kick-out pass to find the open shooter. The Sixers have played some admirable halfcourt defense lately. The first half was not one to be proud of.
- Andre Drummond shot a reverse-pivoting jumper by the block early in the second quarter. It bruised the backboard.
- The Sixers should feel embarrassed by how utterly easy it was for Tatum to work his way up to 28 points. This is a perennial All-Star. He should be atop the scouting reporting. How in the hell are you falling for every tendency and letting him get runways to the basket? They basically conceded him his share of the box score before the game even tipped off. Where was the pride?
- How many dunks are you going to let Neemias Queta have before you bump him on the way to the rim? The Celtics basically gave three of their regular starters a night off and still beat you over the head with their replacements. They mocked you and you still rolled over.
- Reggie Miller would be a much better color commentator if he delivered his criticisms of players with his full chest. If you have something to say, don't just allude to it. Be an adult or don't say it at all.
The Sixers (21-41) will host the Utah Jazz (15-47) on Sunday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Eastern time. You can watch the game on NBC Sports Philadelphia.
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