The Boston Celtics were shocked in Game 1 by the Philadelphia 76ers without Joel Embiid, losing the contest 119-115. The Sixers were led by a dominant outing from James Harden, while the Celtics continued their same struggles that surfaced at times in the first round vs. the Atlanta Hawks. Joe Mazzulla is starting to catch some heat from multiple angles, as many are comparing this Celtics team to the one under last year's leadership of Ime Udoka. A big difference between the two is the style of play the Celtics play on offense, something Marcus Smart has commented on, reports The Athletic's Jay King.
Marcus Smart on Joe Mazzulla’s offense:
“Literally, the majority of the offense is random.”
(via @ByJayKing, https://t.co/8Bue2MsLvV) pic.twitter.com/VyBJIGY8cD
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 3, 2023
Marcus Smart is not necessarily calling out his head coach here, but the lack of structure is telling given the dysfunctional team the Celtics have looked like so far in the 2023 NBA Playoffs. If the Celtics lose Game 2 to the Sixers on Tuesday, only more questions are going to be raised about whether or not Joe Mazzulla is the right man for the job.
The Celtics are going to have their work cut out for them in Game 2 if NBA MVP Joel Embiid is able to suit up. They cannot afford to go down 0-2 and head to Philadelphia, so they better prepare to go to whatever lengths necessary to even up the series.
If Joel Embiid can't go in Game 2, the Celtics are certainly not in for a cake walk. James Harden already proved the Sixers are more than capable of winning without Embiid, and might even be a potentially more dangerous team without Embiid given the lesser pressure.
Either way, the Celtics are feeling their own pressure, most of all breathing on the neck of head coach Joe Mazzulla. Game 2 on Wednesday is a must-win for the Boston Celtics if they want to feel good about their NBA Finals aspirations.
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