Joel Embiid solid in return but 76ers routed by Celtics in G2 - ESPN

BOSTON — The 24 hours leading up to Game 2 of this Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Boston Celtics went quite well for Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid. On Tuesday night, he celebrated being named the NBA's Most Valuable Player. And, after he had no setbacks during the day Wednesday, he returned to Philadelphia's starting lineup from a nearly two-week absence with a sprained LCL in his right knee.

But the roughly two hours he and his 76ers teammates spent playing Game 2? Not so much.

While Embiid looked fine physically moving around on that right knee, finishing with 15 points and five blocks in 27 minutes, that was about the only silver lining in a 121-87 demolition by the Celitcs. The 76ers were so thoroughly beaten that their starters didn't play the entire fourth quarter.

«I just thought tonight they made a lot of shots,» Embiid said. «They beat us to every loose ball, and they played with more desperation than us. We didn't execute what we wanted to, and we've got to be better.

»We knew they were going to try to respond after us winning that first game, and we just wasn't ready enough. But we'll fix it."

After Embiid made it through his workouts both Tuesday and Wednesday without incident, he was back in his customary place in Philadelphia's starting lineup to begin Game 2. But after the 76ers got a spectacular 45-point performance from James Harden in Game 1, powering them to a stunning win with the MVP watching in street clothes, the Celtics became the 15th consecutive team to win Game 2 of a series after losing Game 1 at home.

And they did so by getting back to their roots, taking 51 3-point attempts and making 20 of them — after Philadelphia limited Boston to just 26 attempts, its lowest