The Celtics have been regarded as one of the deepest teams in the league this season, and that was on display in Game 2. On a night Jayson Tatum only recorded seven points, the Celtics needed others to step up, and the call was answered.
Malcolm Brogdon scored 23 points in 24 minutes on a very efficient 7-for-15 (46.7%) shooting, including 6 of 10 (60%) from deep, while also pulling down six boards and dishing out two assists. Brogdon's six made threes is a new postseason career-high.
"We've had our depth all year and he's been the anchor of that depth," Joe Mazzulla said on the Sixth Man of the Year. "When he plays like that on both ends of the floor, we're just a different team."
Brogdon's presence has been invaluable to the team this season. Last postseason, the Celtics' bench ranked 14th in points per game, averaging just 22.5. The C's have seen incredible improvement throughout the season, as their bench currently sits at fourth in points per game, averaging 30.6.
This is much to the credit of Brogdon. On any other team in the NBA, Brogdon is a starter, but he has come to Boston, accepted his role and has completely thrived in it. Having Brogdon, especially in the role he is currently in, is such a luxury for the Celtics — one the C's are reaping the benefits of. Brogdon has the ability to be the best scorer on the court whenever he is out there, and adding that to the mix of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown has taken the Celtics to another level.
Brogdon was not the only Celtic that stepped up. Derrick White, who has also been so important to the Celtics' success this season, also came through in a big way. White shot just 1-for-5 in Game 1, as he finished with a -18 plus-minus for the game, but he was able to bounce back nicely in Game 2.
He finished Game 2 with 15 points on 5 of 9 (55.6%) shooting, but it was his contributions in the third quarter, along with Brogdon, that stood out the most. White and Brogdon combined for 19 points in the third quarter on 7 of 9 (77.7%) shooting. Their 19 points was more than the entire 76ers team as a whole, with Philadelphia totalling just 16 third-quarter points.
Marcus Smart, who is the third head of Boston's guard trio, also had himself a nice night. Smart finished with 15 points on 7 of 15 (50%) shooting, recorded five boards and a block. When you look at the depth of the Celtics, it has to start at their guards. The trio of Smart, Brogdon and White provides Boston with one of the deepest backcourts in the entire league, especially given the fact all three are two-way players.
The biggest surprise of the night, though, was Grant Williams. He saw just four minutes in Boston's Game 1 loss, but he was forced into 28 minutes of action in Game 2, likely due to Tatum getting into foul trouble.
Williams' minutes this postseason have been sporadic, and he took advantage of the extended run in Game 2. Williams finished with 12 points on 4 of 8 (50%) shooting, grabbed four rebounds and dished out four assists. He finished the night with a +22 plus-minus, which was third-highest on the team, behind just Jayson Tatum (+24) and Derrick White (+23), making the case for himself to see more postseason minutes. The fourth-year pro has proven in the past that he can be a valuable player in these big games, and while Boston is trying to keep a tight rotation, Williams continues to prove he's still a key depth piece.
