Celtics Spoil Joel Embiid's Return, Dominate 76ers in Game 2

The Boston Celtics bounced back in Game 2 against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Philadelphia 76ers had plenty of juice going into their Game 2 matchup against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night. 

Not only were they coming off of an impressive Game 1 upset, thanks to a 45-point showing from the ten-time All-Star guard James Harden, but the newly-crowned league MVP Joel Embiid was set to make his return after missing the Sixers’ last two games with a sprained knee.

James Harden picked up right where he left off, as he scored nine points out of the gate for the Sixers. While he wasn’t nearly as efficient from the field, Harden got to the free-throw line early and knocked down five of his first six shots.

Meanwhile, Embiid made his presence felt early on. In eight minutes, the big man scored six points and was a force down low on the defensive end as he swatted two shots.

It was clear that Embiid was rusty on the offensive end of the floor, as seven of his 13 first-half points were generated from the charity stripe. However, his defense in the paint was phenomenal, as he blocked five shots in 17 minutes.

Unfortunately for the Sixers, Embiid’s defense down low couldn’t make up for the lack of shot-making from deep.

Going into halftime, the Sixers trailed 57-49. Philadelphia attempted 13 shots from beyond the arc, making just one of those attempts, seven fewer than Boston. 

When the third quarter approached, the Sixers realized it wasn’t their night. To sum up Wednesday’s game, the Celtics were hitting everything while the Sixers couldn’t buy a bucket.

In the third quarter, the Celtics drained nearly 50 percent of their 15 attempts three-pointers. Meanwhile, the Sixers hit on just three of their eight threes. Shooting 32 percent from the field coming out of the half, the Sixers generated just 16 points while giving up 35. 

By the time the game reached the fourth quarter, the Sixers trailed by nearly 30 points. It wasn’t long before both teams accepted the results and declared Game 2 Boston’s to take.

Harden couldn't follow up with another dominant offensive showing as he shot 2-14 from the field for 14 points. In his first game back, Embiid produced 16 points in 26 minutes.

In the end, the Sixers suffered a 121-87 beatdown. With that loss, the series is tied 1-1. The Sixers will head home and prepare for Game 3, which takes place at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philly.