Game 2 started out well for the Sixers.

They led by 22 points midway through the second quarter. They were hitting shots and playing good defense.

But like they have for most of the season when they had a big lead against good teams, they gave it back. It was the fifth 20-point lead they blew this season, the most in 20 years. Boston went on a 25-8 run to end the first half. And despite a small fourth quarter lead, Boston exploded on offense en route to a 108-103 win to take a 2-0 series lead.

The obvious negative on the night was Ben Simmons. He scored a single point and missed all four of his shots. Simmons has been consistent for the entire season, and this was the worst he’s played this year. It was a rookie moment for a rookie. We just wish it happened in the regular season.

JJ Redick led the way with 23 points and hit 5 shots from three-point land. Robert Covington played fantastic with 22 points and four three’s with a pair of steals and blocks. Joel Embiid had a double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds.

Make no mistake, this was a much better overall performance than in Game 1. The Sixers hit 13 of their 3-point attempts, compared to just five on Monday. Boston however still hit nearly 50% of their 3s. They also got hot at the right time, when the Sixers burned out. But this team still needs work.

And we still didn’t see Markelle Fultz. Dr. J thinks the team should’ve drafted Jayson Tatum instead. Is he right or just the most opportunistic told-you-so-er of ever?

The series shifts home Saturday at 5 PM on ESPN. The home environment may be something the team needs. Meek Mill will probably be there again. A win at home can potentially shift the momentum of the series, but they have to beat the Celtics first. That’s been the hard part for this team this season.

The Roundup:

Defensive tackle Tim Jernigan underwent surgery for a herniated disc. We knew that. He’s gonna miss 4-6 months. We didn’t know that. And the team restructured his deal and took away his guaranteed money. So that Haloti Ngata signing looks good right now.

Doug Pederson got rewarded with the team picking up his fifth-year option. He’s signed through 2020.

The rest of the team got their Super Bowl game balls.

Could Avonte Maddox become the team’s next slot corner?

Carlos Santana isn’t too worried about his slow start, and neither is Gabe Kapler. In fact, Santana thinks he’ll rebound sooner than later.

“I know I’ve struggled this month, but this is not new for me,” Santana said. “My numbers, I finish strong. Check back in September.”

The Phillies made the right move in signing Jake Arrieta over Lance Lynn and Alex Cobb:

It turns out the Phils were right on both counts. A month into the season, Lynn has been a disaster with the Twins, posting an 8.37 ERA and allowing 50 baserunners in 23⅔ innings. Cobb has been even worse, allowing 22 runs and 37 hits in 17⅔ innings with the Orioles. The duo has a combined 8.93 ERA, and Minnesota and Baltimore are 0-9 in the nine starts Lynn and Cobb have made.

The Twins are on the hook for only this year with Lynn ($12 million), so it won’t be a crippling long-term move.

Cobb is a different story. He’s in the first of a four-year, $57 million contract for an Orioles team that rarely spends money and already looks destined for mid-July selling. A month into Cobb’s contract, the O’s have to be regretting it.

Hey remember that Dylan Cozens guy? He’s still in Triple-A. Will he ever made an appearance in the big leagues?

The Phils have a weekend series in DC against the Nationals this weekend. Nick Pivetta will take the mound tonight at 7:05 PM on NBC Sports Philadelphia.

In only two seasons, Travis Konecny has matured to becoming a big part of the team’s offense.

“He’s a big part of the future of this organization,” Couturier said. “He’s got a lot of skill, a lot of speed. He can change the game himself. He’s one of those players that has that ability. I think as a young guy, he learned a lot this year. At the end of the year, he was more of a responsible player. He was taking better care of the puck and doing the right decisions.”

By the end of the season, though, Konecny found himself off the top unit. Not because of his play but rather that Dave Hakstol wanted to spread the wealth. Hakstol moved Konecny to the third line with Valtteri Filppula and Wayne Simmonds during the Flyers’ 5-4 loss to the Islanders on April 3, and Konecny remained away from Giroux and Couturier in the playoffs.

Konecny said his time on the first line gave him the confidence to try things he wouldn’t have before, and that remained when he was moved away from Couturier and Giroux.

“When he got some confidence, he started being a very dangerous player,” Giroux said. “He’s dynamic, beats guys 1-on-1, makes plays. He just matured. The immature player that had a little turnover or whatever it was, it was out of his game at the end of the year.”

Listen to the latest episode of Snow the Goalie!

Dallas is not only bad in athletic sports, but also in e-sports!

In other sports news, the Cleveland Cavaliers took a 2-0 series lead over the Raptors with a 128-110 win.

In the Stanley Cup playoffs, Pittsburgh and Nashville won their respective Game 4 matchups to even their series at two games each.

David Fizdale will become the next head coach of the New York Knicks.

The Falcons signed quarterback Matt Ryan to a five-year, $150 million deal, with $100 million guaranteed. He’ll be the first ever player to make $30 million a year.

The Yankees and Red Sox will play two games in London next June. Boston will be the home team for each. I hate this idea.

There was a college lacrosse fight last night:

https://twitter.com/CFJastrzembski/status/992205755465043973

How many players involved in that fight do you think have dads as lawyers? Over/under is at 5.

Legendary former Islanders GM Bill Torrey passed away at the age of 83.

The Carolina Hurricanes traded forward Marcus Kruger to the Arizona Coyotes for Jordan Martinook.

In the news, Meek Mill is pushing for criminal justice reform.

A man posed as a fake DJ and talked to students at a Philadelphia school.

Philly’s ‘Iron Chef’ Jose Garces has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is selling his empire to a Louisiana company.

A volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island (named Hawaii) has erupted.

There won’t be a Nobel Prize in Literature this year. There’s a sexual and financial scandal involving the organization that chooses the winner.