76ers most to blame for ugly Game 1 loss to Celtics in 2026 NBA Playoffs

The Philadelphia 76ers had a rough start to the playoffs, losing 123-91 to the Boston Celtics in Game 1. They came into the game with not much rest, like other teams, as they had to earn their spot earlier in the week with the Play-In Tournament. Nonetheless, the 76ers knew what they were up against, but the Celtics proved to be the better team in the first game of the series.

From the beginning of the game until the end, the 76ers played from behind, and they couldn’t get out of the hole they had dug.

Here are a few reasons for their Game 1 loss.

The 76ers’ frontcourt

The 76ers were already coming into this series with a disadvantage in the frontcourt, with Joel Embiid still sidelined after undergoing an appendectomy in the last week of the season. That meant players such as Adem Bona, Andre Drummond, and Dominick Barlow would have to step up in his absence.

Unfortunately, they were not able to establish much on either side of the ball, and the Celtics’ frontcourt of Neemias Queta and Nikola Vucevic had the advantage. Bona picked up two early fouls, which led to Drummond and Barlow having to take some of his minutes.

Inefficient from the 3-point line

If you want to beat the Celtics, there may have to be a few times you shoot better than them from the 3-point line. The 76ers were not able to do that, as they only made 4 of their 22 attempts. On the other hand, the Celtics shot 16-of-44 from the 3-point line, and it was a big reason why they had such a huge advantage in this matchup.

The 76ers were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the month of March, and that’s going to have to change if they want a chance in this series.

More ball movement

It’s going to be hard to beat the Celtics if you’re playing isolation basketball, and that’s what the 76ers can’t do at the moment. As good as Tyrese Maxey and Paul George are as scorers, the ball will have to keep swinging for better shots and open shots. The 76ers only finished with 20 assists in this game, and that total will have to increase moving forward.

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