Rookies Fighting for Supremacy in Celtics VS 76ers
The Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers in a playoff game that showcased two of the NBA’s best rookies.
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series finished 117 – 101 to the Boston Celtics. The narrative surrounding the game revolved around the rookies; Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.
The TD garden crowd goaded Ben Simmons with chants of “not a rookie†throughout the second half of the game. Simmons’ rookie status is disputed because the 2016 No.1 pick missed what should have been his first season with a foot injury.
Later in the game, the home crowd directed chants of “he’s a rookie†towards Jayson Tatum.
Simmons, who finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists over 42 minutes, said he was unaffected.
“I don’t care. It doesn’t affect me at all,” he said.
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Tatum, the No. 3 pick in the 2017 draft, was under pressure to perform for an injury-plagued Boston roster. The Celtics have been without All-Stars Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving for the entirety of the postseason. Second year forward Jaylen Brown was also unavailable after straining his hamstring against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.
In their absence, Jayson Tatum provided a performance befitting of an NBA Rookie of the Year candidate.
He finished with 28 points, a postseason career-high. The only other Celtics rookie to score 25 plus in the playoffs in the last 50 years is Larry Bird. Tatum made 8 of 16 shots and was 11-of-12 from the free throw line.
In spite of a prominent performance, Tatum isn’t worried about individual accolades.
“At this point, I’m just focused on winning, not really matchups,†he said.  “Just win. It’s really a team thing right now.” He refused to be drawn on whether he or Simmons is the better rookie.
The Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers meet for Game 2 of the series on Friday.
