The Philadelphia 76ers experienced the worst loss most fans could've imagined during Game 1 of their first-round series against the Boston Celtics. The 76ers suffered a somewhat humiliating 123-91 loss to the Celtics in a clash that has many thinking this could be a series sweep.
Though there are no shortage of reasons to evaluate what went wrong, Game 1 was always going to be a unique uphill battle.
Game 1 wasn't just the start of the series, but Jayson Tatum's first postseason game since he ruptured his Achilles tendon during the 2025 NBA Playoffs. That alone made the emotion palpable in Boston, which played a massive role in the first quarter going the way it did.
The Celtics outscored the 76ers 33-18 in the first quarter, building momentum and a lead that would drive it toward the lopsided win.
Yes, Boston outscored Philadelphia in all four quarters, but the margins were by no means overwhelming after the first. That includes Boston winning the second quarter 31-28 and the third quarter 31-25. The fourth was then played with a blowout in hand.
With this in mind, the 76ers can't allow what bordered on an inevitable loss to deter them from viewing Game 2 as the golden opportunity that it is.
Celtics were riding an emotional high in Game 1 with Jayson Tatum's postseason return
Clearly, Philadelphia has questions to answer with Joel Embiid absent and the depth at center not necessarily inspiring faith. There are positive takeaways to be found, however, including the fact that VJ Edgecombe had a chance to overcome the inevitable jitters of his postseason debut.
Furthermore, for as optimistic as it may seem to lean into this line of thinking, the 76ers really can't shoot any worse than they did in Game 1.
The 76ers had an eFG% of 27% on jumpers today. They shot 25 percentage points LOWER than their estimated shot quality. pic.twitter.com/YQVaP4enQs
— ALL NBA Podcast (@ALLCITY_NBA) April 19, 2026
Furthermore, Game 2 will give the 76ers an invaluable opportunity to claim home-court advantage. Even after losing Game 1 by 32 points, Philadelphia can win Game 2 by any margin and then head back home with control over its own destiny.
With Edgecombe, Paul George, Quentin Grimes, and Tyrese Maxey all healthy, the 76ers at least have their top perimeter players available to test the true limits of their potential.
Considering how hard it's been to produce a healthy rotation this season, the 76ers can at least find solace in the state of the perimeter. If they manage to win Game 2, perhaps they can extend this series long enough for Joel Embiid to return before its conclusion.
One way or another, the final score of Game 1 is absolutely irrelevant to what may yet happen in the games that follow.
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