From Chris Forsberg:

BOSTON – Asked to assess his first playoff game, just 11 months removed from the Achilles rupture that left his future so uncertain, Jayson Tatum basically shrugged off a dominant two-way effort in Game 1 of the Celtics’ Eastern Conference first-round series with the Philadelphia 76ers. 

“I’m still rehabbing,” said Tatum, then later added, “Still trying to ramp up.”

If this is “Still Rehabbing” Tatum then … sheesh.

Here are three numbers that stand out from Boston’s dominant Game 1, beginning with Tatum’s all-around prowess:

Two-way menace

Tatum totaled 25 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and two steals over just 32:25 of game action. He did most of his offensive damage in the first half while helping Boston build a big cushion, then let Jaylen Brown take the offensive baton as the Jays sent a very loud reminder of Boston’s 1-2 championship punch while KOing the Sixers at TD Garden.

Perhaps more encouraging than Tatum’s offensive output was his play on the defensive end. He got switched onto speedy Tyrese Maxey multiple times in the first half but utilized his length to disrupt Philadelphia’s twitchy guard.

The Sixers were a mere 6-of-19 shooting (31.6 percent) when Tatum was the primary defender, per NBA tracking. Maxey finished 1-of-5 shooting with two points when defended by Tatum, with the lone make being a tough finish in traffic around the basket.

Tatum also grabbed 27.5 percent of all defensive rebounds during his floor time as he continues to be the top rebounding forward in the NBA since his return. Boston had a +31.7 net rating during Tatum’s floor time, including a 91.0 defensive rating.

About the only thing that went wrong for Tatum was his 3-point efficiency, as he went 1 for 7 beyond the arc. Connecting on 8 of 10 shots inside the arc helped jolt his overall shooting numbers (9 for 17). Tatum also created 15 assist points in Sunday’s game while committing just one turnover.

Read more here.

Top fye

been impressed by Tatum rebound, his defense is also ramping up.