... and we start back at (Games) 1

The first round is mercilessly, mercifully over after three weekend Games 7. How the narratives twisted.

Good morning. Let's basketball.

Jo > Joe

Sixers 109, Celtics 100 (PHI wins 4-3)

I watched this Game 7 on delay and avoided spoilers. My last touchpoint with the internet before queuing up the game was an early morning browse through the discourse, when I saw that the Celtics had no one on their injury report, meaning Jayson Tatum was clear to play.

Imagine my surprise when I started the game around 9 PM Pacific on Saturday and saw this starting lineup. The absence of Tatum from it was only the first of several shocking things.

Luka Garza getting the start over Neemias Queta. Baylor Scheierman and Ron Harper Jr. getting starts over Sam Hauser and in the absence of Tatum. What?

Let's turn to Professor Paul Flannery's instant reaction:

Why was Luka Garza playing meaningful minutes, let alone starting a Game 7? Joe Mazzulla galaxy brained his team out of a chance to compete by giving one of the worst defensive centers in the NBA the starting nod in the most important game of the season.

Throwing Ron Harper Jr. into the mix was crazy enough to try. Going with Baylor Scheierman for matchups and energy was plausible. But, Garza? Watching the defenseless big man fail to rotate, or box out, or set legal screens, or make open jump shots was bad enough. Watching him fail to provide any positive value whatsoever for six agonizing minutes was even worse.

In related news, Joel Embiid had his most compelling playoff performance ever.

Garza was food. In fairness to him, everyone else on the Celtics was food for Embiid, too. Boston had to double and even triple Joel as the game wore on, and he picked the C's apart. Meanwhile, whenever Philadelphia needed a bucket, Tyrese Maxey blasted past his defender or Paul George hit a Paul George shot in isolation. V.J. Edgecombe was a picture of poise on the perimeter off of Embiid or Maxey kick-outs, and a menace the few times the Sixers got into transition. The Sixers defense largely worked well, though Boston missed a lot of makeable shots down the stretch.