Sixers vs. Celtics: 3 takeaways from Game 1 defeat

The Sixers were back in full playoff form — in all the worst ways — Monday night.

The Sixers are back, baby. Monday night’s Game 1 loss to Boston had all the hallmarks of a disappointing Sixers playoff performance — high turnover numbers, poor shot creation down the stretch, a fatigued Joel Embiid, and a few valid criticisms of Brett Brown to put the cherry on top.

Despite a slew of concerns, however, the Sixers only lost by eight and were up four heading into the final quarter. The Sixers had a very real chance to win this game, and even if the closing effort was subpar, there are reasons for optimism. It’s only Game 1.

Philadelphia did have a clear size advantage, and Embiid recognizes his need to do more as the Sixers’ lead scorer. Philadelphia also managed to limit turnovers in the second half, which led to a surprisingly sturdy third quarter performance.

If the Sixers can trim the turnover numbers, find Embiid more regularly in the post, and start to finding ways to generate points in crunch time, a series win is not entirely out of the question. Don’t count me among the full-fledged optimists — I still think Boston will win, even if Gordon Hayward misses time — but it’s not hard to see a path to victory.

Here’s what we learned on Monday.