With TD Garden chanting “NOT A ROOKIE” whenever Ben Simmons touched the ball and the Celtics sticking to single coverage, Game 1 turned into a giant dare. Ben Simmons, we dare you to shoot. Ben Simmons, we dare you to beat Al Horford off the dribble. Ben Simmons, do Ben Simmons things.
Boston treated 24-year-old Joel Embiid the same way. If The Process got the ball on the low block, the Celtics didn’t overreact and double team. They stuck to their guns--or better put, the Sixers’ gunners--and forced Embiid to beat them single-handedly.