Paul George delivered a clear assessment after the Philadelphia 76ers’ 123-91 Game 1 loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday at TD Garden.
“We didn’t match the physicality, the toughness,” George said, pointing to repeated defensive breakdowns that allowed Boston easy scoring opportunities.
The Celtics never trailed and built a 35-point lead, shooting 50% from the field and hitting 16 threes, while Philadelphia struggled to contain drives and transition actions.
“There was just no resistance at a lot of times throughout the game. And that’s not playoff basketball,” George said, referencing Boston’s consistent paint pressure.
Boston’s offensive rhythm repeatedly exposed Philadelphia’s rotations, with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combining for 51 points in a controlled, efficient attack.
George highlighted how often the Celtics converted simple actions at the rim, which shifted the game’s momentum early and never allowed Philadelphia to recover.
“They had a lot of possessions where they just walked to the rim for easy layups,” he said. “We just didn’t do enough at either end to settle into the game.”
Despite the lopsided result, George avoided framing the defeat as a structural issue, instead focusing on execution and response ahead of Game 2.
“It’s one game. We got a series and we got a chance to play them again Tuesday,” he said, stressing the need to reset quickly.
Philadelphia shot 4-of-23 from three-point range and finished with 91 points, while Joel Embiid remained out due to recovery from an appendectomy.
George also addressed offensive balance, noting his limited shot volume was not a concern within the flow of the game.
“It wasn’t about getting more shots. I was taking what the defense was giving me and the opportunities that I had,” he said.
Boston’s defensive attention often funneled possessions away from secondary actions, forcing Philadelphia into contested looks or late-clock decisions.
George also pointed to missed execution on both ends, including turnovers that led directly to Boston scoring runs.
“Every turnover that we had they feel like we scored on… especially the live ball turnovers,” he said, emphasizing transition defense as a key issue.
On offense, he noted missed open looks and finishing issues around the rim that widened the gap beyond shooting variance alone.
“We had a lot of good looks, a lot of chippy ones that we usually make at the rim,” George said.
Looking ahead, George stressed the importance of defensive trust and communication as the primary adjustment before Game 2.
“We got to trust that we got help behind us that we can be physical and we can be aggressive on the ball,” he said.
Philadelphia now faces a quick turnaround, needing to tighten rotations and improve physical engagement to avoid falling into a deeper series deficit.
