BOSTON — The Boston Celtics started their playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers with a dominant 123-91 win. The C’s are seen by many as favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference. They played up to those lofty expectations against the feisty Sixers, who are set to be without Joel Embiid for the entirety of this series. With the odds in their favor, complacency becomes the biggest problem. Coach Joe Mazzulla explained how Boston plans to negate this. “It comes down to two things. We got off to a good start in the series, but that doesn’t matter anymore. In 48 hours, we have to do it again. You have to expect a better version of your opponent and a better version of yourselves. That’s where the maturity and competitive character of our group shows—staying committed to what wins.”
Celtics Choose Continuity Over Flash As Playoff Rotation Is Revealed
Mazzulla Doubles Down On Continuity
The Celtics will face Philadelphia on Tuesday with a quick 48-hour turnaround. Mazzulla made the bold decision to stick with the status quo, trusting the starting lineup he has adopted since Jayson Tatum’s return: Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Tatum, and most improved player snub, Neemias Queta. Payton Pritchard leads the way off the bench in a somewhat surprising move. Some pundits thought Pritchard could start over Hauser to add more offensive firepower to the starting lineup. Instead, Mazzulla chose to prioritize continuity, also choosing defensive solidity and rebounding/length over firepower. Off the bench, Pritchard is more impactful for the Celtics anyway. He averaged 17.6 points off the bench compared to 16.9 as a starter.
Rotation Decisions And Bench Roles
Nikola Vucevic, Jordan Walsh, and Baylor Scheiermann all unsurprisingly came off the bench. In a surprising twist, Luka Garza played 14 valuable playoff minutes, rounding up the Celtics playoff rotation. Vucevic got into foul trouble in the first half with three fouls, so it remains to be seen if Garza played minutes due to that circumstance or if he’s a bona fide member of the rotation. “At the end of the day, I don’t really look at it as foul trouble. We stick to our rotation and play our guys. That’s what we’ve done all year, and it’s what we’ll continue to do.”
Garza’s Role Moving Forward
We will get more clarity, provided there’s no foul trouble, on whether Garza will remain in the playoff rotation. Garza enjoyed a career year in Boston, reaching highs across multiple statistical categories. As a result, he even earned the most starts of his career (6) in a season. Typically, teams go with a nine-man rotation in the postseason, so he looks set to be more of a bit-part player rather than a regular fixture.
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