Celtics' Second-Quarter Woes in Game Two

0:00It's April 22nd. This is Boston Celtics News today, AI Power Stories from Inside Your Team. The Boston Celtics stumbled hard in game 2 against the Philadelphia 76ers, blowing an early lead and falling way behind in the playoffs. They started strong, of 28 to 25 after the first quarter, but everything unraveled fast from there. That second quarter turned into a nightmare, with Philly dropping 37 points and turning the game into a route. By halftime, the Celtics defense vanished and their shot-making went cold, finishing the night at just 39.3% from the field and 26% from deep. Coach Joe Mazula called it out straight, saying their offense needed to match Philly's punch, but they missed too many open looks down the stretch. Jason Tatum, held to 19 points over 39 minutes on rough efficiency, pointed right at that second quarter collapse as the killer. The Celtics still boasts the league's top defense, holding teams to 107.2 points a night, and a killer offense at 100, 20.8 rating.

1:03Tatum struggled against Philly's pressure, but this squad knows playoffs demand quick fixes. Now heading into game 3, expect Boston's championship experience to kick in and shut down those second quarter blues before they repeat.