Final: Game 2 - Celtics 108, Sixers 103 - After trailing by 22 in 1st half, Boston shocks Philly

The Celtics have been comeback kids all the year long. They continued that trend in Game 2 against the Sixers.

The hosts fought all the way back from a 22-point first half deficit and outplayed the Sixers down the stretch to pull out a 108-103 victory at the TD Garden. The win gives Boston a 2-0 series lead in the best-of-seven series.

Jayson Tatum scored 16 of his team-high 21 points in the second half to lead six different Celtics that scored in double figures. Al Horford added a double-double (13 points, 12 rebounds) including the game-clinching layup over Joel Embiid with five seconds to play. Jaylen Brown also returned from a hamstring strain and was effective with 13 points off the bench.

JJ Redick had a game-high 23 points for the visitors, who suffered through subpar shooting nights from their stars in Joel Embiid (8-of-22 from field) and Ben Simmons (one point in 30 minutes).

Fourth quarter notes



11:00: Trailing by three, the Sixers decide to play defense ... until Embiid gets switched onto Horford and he easily drives the lane. This one is o-vah. Thank you and good night. what a comeback from the Celtics.

Wut...



10:52: Long rebound to the Celtics and they're off to the races .... Rozier makes a perfect lob over Embiid to Tatum for a dunk that blows the roof off the place.

Rozier to Jayson Tatum alley-oop!@celtics up 103-97 with 2:23 left on @NBAonTNT #CUsRise pic.twitter.com/zR5mTDAWzW

— NBA (@NBA) May 4, 2018

Pretty ball movement leads to a Mook 3-pointer! pic.twitter.com/JVBrgdVBwP

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 4, 2018

• Stevens goes back to the starting five at the start of the half, despite his success with going small. Immediately, they carry over the momentum from the first half.


• Defensively, this group showed a lot of discipline in containing Embiid and forcing Redick into tough looks for most possessions.


• Ben Simmons has been strangely passive for this whole contest with just two shot attempts in his first 25 minutes. Great defense by Al Horford there, but a Simmons is not looking for his shot and it's helping slow down the Sixers offense.


• On the flip side, C's offense continued to play with energy and kept attacking heavily in transition. They erased the remainder of the 5-point deficit and pushed their lead already up to eight as Marcus Smart continued his hot shooting and Jayson Tatum got going from the corners and driving the baseline against close outs.


• Smart's having one of the best shooting night of his season (6-of-9 from FG, 4-of-7 from 3-point range).


• Tatum finished with a team-high 10 points in the third.

• Sixers bench really put the screws to the C's offense in the early parts of the corner. T.J. McConnell and Robert Covington with early deflections, helping the Sixers score 14 points off seven Boston turnovers in the opening 24 minutes.


• Philly's shooters also got going early around Redick as Robert Covington (2-of-3) and Dario Saric (2-of-4) found their rhythm within the offense.


• The hot shooting and putrid C's offensive sets pushed the Sixers lead up to 21 midway through the frame and earned Jayson Tatum a spot on the bench.


• With no easy looks materializing in the halfcourt, Stevens turned to Greg Monroe for a post threat for the first time all series. He held his own over six minutes with a couple paint buckets and respectable defense on Joel Embiid.


• However, C's really fought their way back into this game thanks to their transition play in the final five minutes of the frame. Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart pushed the ball constantly off misses and found some open looks from 3-point range on kickouts.


• That shift helped the hosts close the half on a 21-5 run, riding the energy from the Garden crowd to the strong finish.

• Celtics playing tight early on the offensive end, making a few too many passes early while showing some hesitancy in taking shots.


• Sixers made some early defensive adjustments, putting Ben Simmons on Rozier, Redick on Marcus Smart and Covington on Tatum.


• Rozier has lost Redick on a couple possessions early with Sixers starting out the game on a 8-0 run. Boston missed their first five shots from the field.


• Jaylen Brown makes his return to the lineup at the seven-minute mark of the first quarter after Sixers go to the bench. He shows some good bounce immediately with a steal of a loose ball and jam.


• C's respond with a 7-3 run after early 8-0 run by the Sixers.


• Redick gets an early rest but regains his rhythm in the final few minutes of the quarter as he and Marco Belinelli combine for 19 of Philly's 31 points in the first quarter.


• C's offense is a lot flatter in Game 2. They aren't running hard to their spots, the Sixers are quicker with their recovery on the kickouts on drives. They start the game shooting just 35 percent from the field


• Offensive rebounding is also biting the C's when they've gone with smaller lineups and with mismatches. Six offensive rebounds led to six second chance points in the first.

• Jaylen Brown was upgraded from doubtful to probable by the Celtics for Game 2 as his condition continues to improve from a strained right hamstring. He did not practice with the team on Wednesday and still isn't 100 percent according to head coach Brad Stevens. If he does play, he will come off the bench.


• The Celtics have won all five games they have played at the TD Garden this postseason.


• Terry Rozier, Al Horford and Jayson Tatum became the first Celtic trio to score 25 or more points each in a playoff game since Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo in the 2009 postseason.


• The Sixers shot a postseason-low 19.2 percent from 3-point range in Game 1 of the series.