Friday night, America’s most blunted, ready to watch two basketball games simultaneously with NFL Draft alerts on, Yankees on the iPad.
Oh, what a night.
Let’s start with Boston and Philly tied 1-1—”it’s not a series until the home team loses”.
The postseason, when reporters and podcasters trade barren axioms like “poking the bear” or “playing with food”, everyone just starts talking like 2K NPCs.
Boston takes Game 3, 108-100 victory over the Sixers in Philadelphia.
Jaylen Brown reached his final form
Jaylen Brown has MVP talent
He’s a team player that doesn’t stat chase, but he’s that good
— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) April 25, 2026
Dribbling had this man in a full Nelson.
In the 2022 NBA Finals, Golden State could not wait for Jaylen Brown to handle the rock.
Automatic Warriors fastbreak.
I could’ve sworn the Celtics would be slapboxing the Indiana Pacers at the bottom of the East while their stars taught themselves to walk again.
Nah, Jaylen Brown went to the lab, tightened the bolts, battened down the hatches, and jammed himself into the MVP tier.
Step-back, fall away midrange jumpers.
Splash.
Expected.
Light work.
Low socks in the loafers, DJ playing his favorite song at the resort—mocking Bronny James with the hoes level-comfy hitting contested jumpers off the dribble.
Defensively, stick-ups, run your pockets, Jaylen Brown plays keep-away with opposing ballhandlers’ oxygen.
Here’s what Brown contributed to the Celtics Game 3 victory:
- 40 minutes
- 25 points
- 9-for-16 shooting
- 6 free throws
- 7 rebounds
- 4 assists
- 3 blocks
- 1 steal
- 6 turnovers (yuck)
- +13
It also helps he’s matched up with an aging, deteriorating, former-star, just completely guessing, wrong—Jaylen Brown committing elder abuse live on Amazon. Live at Amazon too.
Jaylen Brown’s biggest flaw is still passing, 6 turnovers on the day, not so easy recording triple-doubles now is it?
He still looks down at the ball when he dribbles, sure, but he’s mastered the midrange jumper and declared himself not only one of the best players in the world, but the best player on the Boston Celtics.
I’m sure Jayson Tatum is totally cool with that and it definitely will not be a problem later…
Joel Embiid is better than Andre Drummond
Tatum and Pritchard hit some big 3’s late but the Celtics only won by 8.
The Philadelphia 76ers could have won this basketball contest.
VJ Edgecomb, the obvious rookie of the year.
In his first professional season, glimpses, streaks, blurry images of the best player on the floor.
Better than Maxey.
And we shouldn’t take what Edgecomb’s doing for granted. Let’s not act like the Sixers were crushing NBA drafts. Joel Embiid is an MVP. Congrats.
Jahlil Okafor, Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz melted within the crucible. Ben Simmons still can’t shoot a basketball without needing EMTs on the scene.
Outside of those VJ Edgecomb blips of greatness, Maxey is the road runner, sprinting, stopping at a dime to hit a 3, his body recoiling as he hits the brakes to chuck a jumper in transition—each made basket feeling like the most important shot in Sixers history.
Here’s what Maxey put together against the Celtics:
- 42 minutes
- 31 points
- 12-for-31 shooting
- 5-for-13 from 3
- 6 assists
- 4 rebounds
- 2 blocks
- 1 steal
Not enough to overcome the absurdity of Andre Drummond minutes.
Jayson Tatum drops Andre Drummond: pic.twitter.com/IQDhKT7WCu
— Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) April 24, 2026
Andre Drummond speared Tyrese Maxey under 2 minutes left in the first half, 3-pointer the other way. Drummond was a game-worst -17.
It sucks Joel Embiid needed an appendectomy on April 9.
The Boston Celtics have no answer for the 7-footer who averaged 26.9 points in the 38 games he played this season. Neemias Queta and Nikola Vucevic combined for 9 fouls. What would happen against the man who’s the best at drawing fouls?
Embiid’s exploding organs cost us a legendary series. I hope whoever possesses his voodoo doll is proud of themselves.
I don’t see the Sixers beating the Celts without Embiid.
There’s too much Kelly Oubre everywhere. That’s never been a way to win a playoff series.
Celtics in 5.
Unfortunately.
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