The Boston Celtics opened their playoff run on Sunday afternoon at TD Garden with a performance that left little room for doubt. Philadelphia arrived having earned this matchup, their fans vocal about wanting it. Boston shut the conversation down quickly, pulling away early and never looking back in a 123-91 victory that was as complete as the scoreline suggested.
Jaylen Brown topped the scoring column with 26 points, setting the tone alongside Jayson Tatum in a lineup that featured several players experiencing the playoff stage for the first time. As Brown walked toward the tunnel after the final buzzer, the Celtics crowd sent him off with MVP chants. He had earned every one of them.
After the game, Brown was asked what he told the younger players heading into the moment.
Brown’s Message Before the Game
The words were calm, specific, and carried the authority of someone who has been here before.
“Just breathe,” Brown said. “Manage your emotions. They might go on a run. They might not go on a run, but just stay together. Win the fight. Be a hard-player team and guard. Don’t save yourself for offense. Offense is going to be fine if we defend…that was my message.”
Brown is not asking the young players to be stars. He is asking them to compete, to guard, to stay connected. Everything else, he says, will follow. That is the message of a player who has grown into a genuine leadership role for the Celtics.
GettyBOSTON, MA – APRIL 19: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics goes in for a dunk against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at TD Garden on April 19, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
What Brown Did on the Court
Sunday’s performance gave those words real substance.
Brown led the Celtics and finished the afternoon with 26 points, delivering the kind of composed, efficient performance that has defined his season. He was at his best in the third quarter, when the Sixers made a brief attempt to claw back into the contest. Brown responded with a scoring burst that ended any lingering doubt and pushed the lead back to a level Philadelphia could not recover from.
Brown and Tatum combined for 51 points, and the balance between them looked like something that has been building all season toward exactly this kind of moment.
Philadelphia’s path was narrow from the start without Joel Embiid, who missed the game following emergency surgery earlier this month. Tyrese Maxey finished with 21 points for Philadelphia but the Sixers could not generate the sustained offensive pressure to make Boston work for it. The Celtics were clinical throughout.
GettyBOSTON, MA – APRIL 19: Adem Bona #30 of the Philadelphia 76ers grabs a rebound against Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics during the second quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at TD Garden on April 19, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
What It Means for the Celtics Going Forward
Baylor Scheierman, Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh and Luka Garza all got their first real taste of playoff basketball on Sunday, and they did so inside a building that was fully alive.
Joe Mazzulla captured the atmosphere after the game. “Playoff basketball, which obviously means more,” he said. “It’s different in Boston, which we appreciate.”
The crowd that filled TD Garden on Sunday delivered on that difference, and the young Celtics now know what it feels like to perform inside it with a result that mattered.
Brown’s message gave them a framework before the game started. The performance gave them confidence to carry into Game 2. Both matter when you are building something that needs to last through a full playoff run.
The Celtics enter Game 2 as heavy favorites to close out the first round quickly. The roster is healthy. The veterans are producing. The young players have their first playoff win.
GettyBOSTON, MA – APRIL 19: Neemias Queta #88 of the Boston Celtics lays the ball up past Andre Drummond #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at TD Garden on April 19, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Final Word for the Celtics
Brown walked off the floor to MVP chants on Sunday.
He led the Celtics in scoring, steadied the young players around him, and delivered a postgame message that revealed exactly how far his leadership has come.
Just breathe. Win the fight. Defend.
The Celtics did all three on Sunday. Brown made sure of it.
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