Jayson Tatum is the Celtics ‘Name to Know’ Player of the Game in Game 1 win over 76ers

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Jayson Tatum is the Celtics ‘Name to Know’ Player of the Game in Game 1 win over 76ers

Souichi Terada · MassLive

Sun, Apr 19, 2026 ·

2 min read

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BOSTON — The Celtics showed exactly why they’re heavy favorites over the 76ers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The C’s dominated the Sixers 123-91 on Sunday at TD Garden in Game 1, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.

Jayson Tatum was excellent and the best player on the court in the first half. His performance makes him Sunday’s “Name to Know” Player of the Game. The Name to Know Player of the Game is sponsored by John’s Sewer and Drain Cleaning, the Name to Know when your drains don’t flow .

Tatum finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists before making his way to the bench early in the blowout victory. He finished with 32 minutes Sunday, including playing the entire opening quarter, in his first playoff game since his Achilles injury.

While the result was obviously great for the Celtics, Tatum playing at this level changes their ceiling. His defense was also impressive as he excelled on both ends of the court. It also helped the Sixers couldn’t knock down open looks as the Celtics made a statement in their playoff opener.

Jaylen Brown also played great, climbing out of a slow start to finish with 26 points and four rebounds. He scored 16 points in the third quarter to make sure the Sixers weren’t able to make a comeback even with plenty of time left in the game. The C’s had six total players score in double-figures Sunday to pick apart the Philly defense.

Notably, the C’s only played Brown for 30 minutes while Tatum finished with 32. Both players checked out of the game early with the Celtics up huge in the fourth quarter. That wear-and-tear adds up quickly in the playoffs, so getting the two stars an easier workload goes a long way for any deep playoff run.

The Celtics put together a stellar start to the playoffs. There wasn’t any reason for fans to get their heart rates up in Game 1 as the C’s led by double-digits for the majority of the game. But this only count as one game as it’s unlikely the Sixers shoot poorly from 3 like they did Sunday. Game 2 is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at TD Garden.

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