The Boston Celtics lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, walking away with a 119-115 defeat to a Philadelphia 76ers team missing its best player. Boston’s offense may have been red hot for most of the evening, but listless defense and unforced errors allowed Philadelphia a chance to hang around. That, plus a 45-point performance from James Harden kept the game close right until the final horn, all
The Sixers were without All-Star center Joel Embiid, who is dealing with a knee injury. His absence was sorely felt on both ends of the floor for Philly, something Boston took full advantage of, and the Celtics had 66 points in the paint. (Embiid’s status for Game 2 remains unclear.) Despite Embiid’s absence, however Boston couldn’t get out of its own way. The Celtics coughed up 16 turnovers, resulting in 20 points for the Sixers.
