Celtics' Jayson Tatum Addresses Reason For Game 2 Loss to 76ers
The Boston Celtics couldn't take a 2-0 first-round series lead against the Philadelphia 76ers after falling to a 111-97 loss at the TD Garden in Game 2. The 76ers have taken home-court advantage with this win and will be hoping to build towards an upset series win over the Celtics.
Jayson Tatum returned after an Achilles tear in under a year to try and help the Celtics reach the championship potential they showed all season. He put up 19 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists in the loss, struggling to break a resolute 76ers defense but trying to maximize his impact through other areas.
Tatum addressed the key reasons behind this loss in the post-game press conference, admitting that a second quarter defensive collapse was the key reason the Celtics didn't stand a chance of winning this clash.
"Doing that in a playoff game is tough. It's not a recipe for a win. You got to give them credit, they played better. And that was to be expected. A lot of turnovers and offensive rebounds that we gave up. Then also, not getting shots to go down under pressure."
The Celtics held a three-point lead at the end of the first quarter, but were outscored 37-29 in the second quarter. This stretch gave the Celtics a hole to climb out of, which they failed to do in a low-scoring third quarter that ended with a one-point swing in Boston's favor.
The 76ers pulled away in the fourth quarter, holding the Celtics to a game-low 20 points over the period and extending their lead. Despite Jaylen Brown's 36-point night, the Celtics simply didn't have the offensive firepower on the roster to keep up with Philadelphia.
The 76ers were led by a breakout V.J. Edgecombe game, as the rookie tallied 30 points and 10 rebounds. Tyrese Maxey contributed 29 points and nine assists, with this backcourt production being too much for the Celtics to bear. Paul George's 19 points essentially sealed the game, as the 76ers steal a road win with Joel Embiid still ruled out.
The Celtics shot 35-89 (39.3 FG%) from the field and 13-50 (26.0 3P%) on three-point attempts, so their offense was emphatically shut down by the 76ers. Committing 11 turnovers didn't help them either, as well as watching the 76ers shoot 19-39 (48.7 3P%) from outside over the game.
If the 76ers can maximize homecourt advantage and somehow win the next two games in Philadelphia, they will be on the verge of a huge upset. Even if they split the next two games, the team is in a healthy position as Embiid inches closer to a return from an appendectomy.
Tatum has averaged xxx over the first two games of the series. While he's looking comfortable in his role as a second option, the 27-year-old forward is capable of leading them to wins when he's hot. We saw this in Game 1 and the Celtics faithful will hope they get that version of Tatum again in this series.
Game 3 will be played on Friday, April 24 at 7:00 p.m. ET in the 76ers' Xfinity Mobile Arena. The game will be broadcast on Amazon Prime Video.
Related: NBA Makes Jayson Tatum Announcement in Celtics Loss
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This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 4:07 AM.