Celtics Dominate 76ers in Playoff Opener

Jayson Tatum leads Boston to blowout win in Game 1

Apr. 20, 2026 at 12:36am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a basketball game, with sharp, overlapping planes of green and blue representing the Celtics and 76ers uniforms, respectively.The Celtics' decisive victory over the 76ers in Game 1 sets the stage for a potentially lopsided playoff series.Boston Today

The Boston Celtics cruised to a decisive victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening game of their Eastern Conference playoff series on Sunday. Led by star forward Jayson Tatum, the Celtics thoroughly outmatched their division rivals, prompting NBA analyst Charles Barkley to describe the lopsided affair as a mere "scrimmage" during halftime.

Why it matters

The Celtics' dominant performance sets the tone for the rest of the series and reinforces their status as a top contender in the East. Meanwhile, the 76ers will need to make significant adjustments if they hope to bounce back and advance in the postseason.

The details

Tatum poured in a game-high 32 points to lead the Celtics to a 117-89 rout of the 76ers. Boston's stifling defense limited Philadelphia's scoring opportunities, and the home team led by as many as 30 points at one stage. The Celtics' depth and balance proved too much for the 76ers to handle.

  • The game was played on Sunday, April 20, 2026.
  • Charles Barkley made his halftime comments during the broadcast.

The players

Jayson Tatum

The Celtics' star forward and one of the NBA's premier players, who led his team to victory with a dominant individual performance.

Charles Barkley

The outspoken NBA analyst and former player, who provided his blunt assessment of the lopsided game during the halftime show.

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What they’re saying

“This is a glorified scrimmage. The Celtics are just toying with the 76ers out there.”

— Charles Barkley, NBA Analyst

What’s next

The series will continue with Game 2 in Boston on Tuesday, April 22nd.

The takeaway

The Celtics' dominant performance in Game 1 sends a clear message that they are the team to beat in the East, while the 76ers will need to make significant adjustments if they hope to turn the series around.