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SPORTS Wednesday 2 May 2018
Rozier (29 pts), Tatum (28) help Celtics beat 76ers 117-101

By JIMMY GOLEN by scoring 10 points and
AP Sports Writer six assists in the first quarter
BOSTON (AP) — Boston's ris- on Monday night. He was
ing stars stalled The Process 7 for 9 from 3-point range
and led the Celtics to vic- overall, combining with
tory in Game 1 of the East- Tatum to overshadow the
ern Conference semifinals. lottery picks accumulated
Substitute point guard Terry by Philadelphia during The
Rozier scored 29, and first- Process.
year Celtics forward Jay- The first overall pick in the
son Tatum had a career- 2016 draft who sat out all of
high 28 points to outplay last year with an injury, Sim-
redshirt rookie Ben Simmons mons was heckled by the
on Monday night and lead Boston crowd with chants
Boston to a 117-101 victory of "Not a Rookie!" In the
over the Philadelphia 76ers. fourth quarter, as Tatum
With much of the attention stepped to the free throw
focused on 76ers young- line to protect a double-
sters Simmons and Joel Em- digit lead, the chant turned
biid, Boston's youth move- to "He's a Rookie!"
ment of Tatum and Rozier "I love when people talk
led the way. Two days after trash," Embiid said. "Keep
scoring a career playoff- bringing it, and we'll see
high 26 points in Game 7 how it goes." Boston Celtics guard Terry Rozier (12) makes a dribble move against Philadelphia 76ers guard
against Milwaukee, Rozier Tatum was Boston's first pick JJ Redick (17) in the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series,
topped it, while also add- last year — third overall — Monday, April 30, 2018, in Boston. Associated Press
ing eight rebounds and six after swapping the No. 1
assists. pick to the Sixers and grab-
"It's been a dream come bing a 2018 first-rounder as
true. I want to keep going," well.
said Rozier, who was wear- Philadelphia picked
ing a Drew Bledsoe Patri- Markelle Fultz; he did not
ots jersey to milk one more play on Monday night.
chuckle out of his pseu- "It's been great to see Jay-
do-feud with vanquished son and Terry and just our
Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe. guys play like that," Horford
"I'm just a guy just living in said. "I think that Jayson's
the moment." starting to figure it out. ...
Embiid scored 31 points And it's great to see for our
with 13 rebounds for Phil- team."
adelphia, which lost for It was 33-all with just over
just the second time in 22 seven minutes left in the
games. Simmons, the likely half when the Celtics ran
rookie of the year, scored off 10 points in a row. Hor-
18 with seven boards and ford had four of the five
six assists. baskets and assisted on the
But with six days of rest other. Boston led 87-70 in
since eliminating Miami, the final minute of the third
the Heat missed 15 of their quarter when Philadelphia
first 20 shots and hit 5 of 26 scored nine straight points
from 3-point range to lose to make it a nine-point
for just the second time game.
since March 13. After Simmons made a la-
"We're NBA players and we yup to make it 97-88, Hor-
have to be ready," Embiid ford hit a 3 from the top of
said. "We weren't ready to- the key with 5:30 left and it
night." was never within single dig-
Al Horford had 26 points its again.
and seven rebounds for PUT ME IN COACH
Boston, which will host Up until about an hour be-
Game 2 on Thursday night. fore game time, Brown was
The Celtics are hoping to still trying to figure out a
have guard Jaylen Brown way to play on his strained
back from a hamstring right hamstring.
injury he sustained in the The Celtics' second-lead-
clincher against the Bucks, ing scorer in the first round
leaving him sidelined along with 17.9 points per game,
with Kyrie Irving and Gor- Brown was finally ruled out
don Hayward. about a half-hour before
Playing in place of Irving, tipoff following a conversa-
Rozier picked up where tion with doctors, trainers
he left off in the first round and Horford.q