Joe Mazzulla’s Boston Celtics looked like they were getting a cakewalk with the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
That’s not to say the Celtics were taking the seventh-seeded Sixers lightly. Clearly, the respect was there.
But without Joel Embiid, the Sixers are missing a dynamic two-way presence. Even at less than 100%, Embiid can be one of the best players in the game.
Game 1 looked like the series was shaping up to be a sweep in favor of the Celtics. Game 2 proved that to be the wrong mindset, as the Sixers stole a win on the road in Boston.
On Friday night, the 76ers hosted the Celtics for Game 3. By the end of the competition, Mazzulla made his thoughts on the series clear: The Sixers are putting up one respectable fight while shorthanded.
Joe Mazzulla Speaks His Mind After Game 3 vs Sixers
via Bobby Krivitsky, Forbes: Joe Mazzulla on a Celtics-Sixers series that has been a slugfest so far: “They are pushing us. We have to push them. Usually, competition brings out the best in people. And also, we’re in two great environments. TD Garden was great. It was great to hear…Next game’s gonna be even more of a fist fight.”
The Celtics rolled out Jayson Tatum for 42 minutes. There haven’t been any setbacks for the superstar forward, who suffered a torn Achilles under one year ago.
Tatum went on the road in Philadelphia and showed out against the away crowd. He shot 9-17 from the field and hit on 5-9 shots from three. Tatum finished the game with 25 points, four rebounds, and seven assists.
The star forward Jaylen Brown checked in for 40 minutes and contributed 25 points as well. Brown added seven rebounds and four assists to his line.
On the Sixers’ side, Tyrese Maxey accounted for 31 points. He dished out six assists, while coming down with four rebounds, blocking two shots, and snatching up a steal.
Philly’s veteran forward Paul George contributed 18 points and dished out five assists.
While the Sixers put together another slugfest with the Celtics, they couldn’t protect their home court. The Celtics took Game 3 with a 108-100 loss. The Celtics might be back in control, but they aren’t getting too comfortable.
In the absence of Embiid, the 76ers are proving to be a true threat in the series. Game 4 will take place on Saturday, before the series returns to Boston next week.