The Philadelphia 76ers are now down 0-2 after their Game 2 loss to the Boston Celtics. In the postgame interview, big man Joel Embiid seemed to take a shot at head coach Brett Brown for failing to make defensive adjustments to stop Jayson Tatum.
Per Ben Golliver of The Washington Post, Embiid appeared to criticize Brown's defensive sets against the Celtics, particularly on Tatum.
“Jayson has been killing it. You have to find a way to get the ball out of his hands. They want me to stay back… but we’ve got to make adjustments. Something’s got to change. It feels too easy.”
Joel Embiid on Sixers’ defense vs. Celtics’ Jayson Tatum: “Jayson has been killing it. You have to find a way to get the ball out of his hands. They want me to stay back… but we’ve got to make adjustments. Something’s got to change. It feels too easy.” pic.twitter.com/TOy3KrD3sB
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) August 20, 2020
The Celtics cruised to a Game 2 victory on Wednesday, 128-101. Tatum dropped 33 points, five rebounds, and five assists. The 22-year-old was efficient from the field. He shot 12-of-20 from the field, 8-of-12 from the 3-point line, and 1-of-2 from the free-throw line. This is his second 30-point game in the series as he dropped 32 points in Game 1. Joel Embiid thinks his coach could have probably done a better job game-planning against the Boston star.
The 76ers shot just 23.8 percent from deep as opposed to the Celtics' 44.2 percent clip. The Celtics also outscored the 76ers on the break, 17-1.
To be fair with the 76ers, they are without the services of Ben Simmons due to an injury. The Australian is not just the team's primary playmaker, but he's also a stellar defensive presence as well.
But from the looks of it, Simmons' absence is not a passable excuse for Embiid. The Cameroonian had a productive game with 34 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists.
Game 3 is a must-win for the 76ers. Fans should expect another big performance from Joel Embiid. Brown, meanwhile, may have to consider the Joel's comments.
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