[embedded content]
The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Boston Celtics 111-97 in Game 2 of their playoff series at TD Garden on Tuesday night to even the matchup at 1-1. The win followed a heavy response after a Game 1 loss, with head coach Nick Nurse emphasizing defensive execution and collective resilience.
Nurse pointed to the overall improvement, saying, “Yeah, we just played much better team defense tonight.” He added, “When any action, let’s say a pick and roll action is happening, a lot of times you’re focused on the two people in it, but it’s still a five-man job to defend it.”
He explained the correction in structure from Game 1, saying, “We just weren’t in the right positions. We weren’t moving. We weren’t in the right stances the other night, and tonight we were.”
Nurse highlighted how the group adjusted in live reads, stating, “I thought we just made more basketball reads of when it looked like something was about to happen. We had somebody closing down the gap a little bit. There weren’t near the amount of straight line drives tonight.”
He described the defensive outcome further, saying, “Everything they did get some drives, but every one of them was kind of slow and through a couple people and contested at the rim, even though they did make a few.”
The Celtics briefly surged in the game, but Nurse said, “We were getting tremendous shots and we only had 13 points again, right? We just hung in there.” He added, “They were up 26. Yeah, that was punchings after that. Well, I think we did a great job of just taking that punch.”
V.J. Edgecombe’s injury was another key factor, with Nurse saying, “In the end, as long as he’s okay coming out of this, it actually helped us because it gave us some time.” He noted, “He ended up playing 35 minutes, probably five less than he would have played.”
Tyrese Maxey’s late-game control also stood out, with Nurse explaining, “He just wanted them. He looked at me for a play call and I looked at him and he’s like, ‘I got it.’ He knew what he was doing.”
On Andre Drummond’s impact, Nurse said, “Tonight he was really good… Everybody that went in there helped us. Tonight was a strong one for Justin.” He added, “He’s a bigger wing defender… that led to Justin getting a couple stints there.”
Adem Bona also earned praise, as Nurse said, “I think he’s got some more to bring to the series… we need him to do what he does great, his NBA skill, the shot blocking.”
The series now shifts to Philadelphia, where Nurse’s team carries momentum built on defensive adjustment, physical execution, and late-game stability.
