Joe Mazzulla’s tactical genius sparked a 123-91 Celtics blowout over Philly, cementing Boston as the Eastern Conference favorite.

The 76ers had no answers for the second-seeded Celtics in Sunday's Game 1 as Boston rolled to its largest victory margin in a playoff opener. The 76ers said Monday that Embiid, the 2023 NBA MVP, is just starting his strength and conditioning program as he continues to recover following an appendectomy on April 9.

As the Philadelphia 76ers move forward in their Round 1 series with the Boston Celtics, they will continue to look at second-year big man Adem Bona to continue filling in for the sidelined Joel Embiid.

For the Philadelphia 76ers, the postseason didn’t arrive with momentum or clarity. It arrived with questions — and after Game 1 against the Celtics, even more urgency. What was once a balancing act between health,