For so long as this collection lasts, it will likely be a easy check towards the Sixers.
The Celtics can survive volcanic James Harden eruptions, like his 45-point outburst Monday night time.
They can navigate a no-show from Derrick White, who scored 4 factors and sat down the stretch.
They may even endure the return of anticipated MVP Joel Embiid, who misplaced three of 4 regular-season matchups and has but to beat Boston when it issues most.
But what the Celtics can’t, is not going to and didn’t survive Monday is shedding the ball.
Boston misplaced Monday’s 119-115 thriller when Malcolm Brogdon gifted a go-ahead, fast-break layup to Tyrese Maxey at 28.9.seconds to play, and Marcus Smart’s go for Jayson Tatum as an alternative discovered Paul Reed with lower than 10 seconds left. The Celtics completed with 16 turnovers. Philly had six.
That was it. That was the sport.
Yes, between Smart’s dump of a dump-off and Brogdon’s mind fart, Tatum hit two foul pictures to push the C’s forward 115-114. Tatum had curled proper after receiving an inbounds go, chased contact near the basket and drew a whistle. It was one of many solely instances the Celtics performed with any sense of goal and group within the ultimate 2:30, an aimless stretch outlined by two turnovers and a panicky 1-for-6 capturing efficiency.
Meanwhile, Harden calmly orchestrated the Celtics’ collapse with grasp stroke after grasp stroke. After Tatum’s free throws at 26 seconds left, he dragged Al Horford right into a pick-and-roll Boston switched atop the important thing. He drew Horford tight with a few low dribbles, and triggered a game-winning 3-pointer sooner than the large man may shut.
“He probably surprised me with how quickly he shot the ball,” Horford admitted later.
Harden’s pick-and-roll mastery was nothing new to the Celtics, who two possessions earlier had efficiently danced round a number of screens he had beckoned for. But the final one, because the clock ticked below a minute to go, sprung Reed free for a rim assault, and Smart fouled him within the act. Reed hit each foul pictures.
Leading 113-112, the Celtics pinged the ball round on their penultimate half-court possession. Five seconds left.
Tick. Smart up-faked on a 3, dribbled to the left elbow and flipped a go again to Tatum.
Tock. Tatum pump-faked a 3 and refused to shoot.
Tick. Now, it was Brogdon’s flip to panic, and he vomited a go to Maxey who coasted three-quarters of the court docket in disbelief till his layup fell via, and the gang fell silent.
A second epic collapse had been thrust upon TD Garden in a matter of 24 hours. How may this occur?
The fact is these weren’t merciless, lingering ghosts from the Bruins’ Game 7 loss. Not even unhealthy luck. The Sixers, Daryl Morey’s Sixers, received with math. The possession sport.
They took 14 extra pictures than Boston and fired a dozen extra 3-pointers.
“We only shot 26 threes,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla lamented. “I don’t know if that’s the best way to go about it.”
76ers coach Doc Rivers pays tribute to late Celtics govt Heather Walker
Philly claimed 32.4% of its obtainable offensive rebounds — a a lot greater proportion than the Celtics’ — and generated the remainder of their additional pictures off turnovers. That effort, even with out Embiid, was sufficient to beat a Boston crew favored by 10 factors that shot 58.7% from the ground. Fifty-eight %!
But whether or not they shoot 58% or 48% or 38% in Game 2, the Celtics have their resolution towards Philly. Aside from defending the ball — Smart was the worst offender with six turnovers — Boston should hit the fuel and pound the paint.
The Sixers with out Embiid have little rim safety. With or with out Embiid, they’re sluggish. Their transition protection is atrocious, permitting opponents to attain 1.18 factors per possession, fifth-worst within the league. Evidence of how tempo and a give attention to the paint may damage Philly was ample early in Game 1.
The Celtics’ first six factors had been two dunks and a layup. Midway via the primary quarter, Tatum cooked Tobias Harris, one of many Sixers’ higher defenders towards him, off the bounce for a layup. A minute later, Jaylen Brown back-cut James Harden and cocked a two-handed slam behind his head for an thunderous dunk.
The Celtics led by seven after the primary quarter, when 26 of their 38 factors got here contained in the paint. They scored 30 of their 66 first-half factors on possessions that lasted fewer than 10 seconds. Good pictures discovered the Celtics once they did the arduous work early, as an alternative of attempting to work Philly within the half-court.
Mazzulla additionally has to clean out wrinkles in his rotation. Grant Williams entered with 5:10 left within the first quarter and was promptly hunted off the ground. Harden beat him for 2 baskets round a Harris blow-by. With 1:30 left within the quarter, the Celtics despatched a double crew to assist Williams towards Harden, and all that did was generate a wide-open Georges Niang 3.
Splash. Williams completed with 4 minutes performed.
Gallery: Celtics lose Game 1 to 76ers, 119-117
Mazzulla later threw Sam Hauser into the fireplace. He noticed 33 extra seconds of sport motion than Williams and completed with an identical zero factors.
Of course, White should play higher. Rob Williams may see an extended leash contemplating his rim safety, which could permit the Celtics’ perimeter defender to play greater out on Harden. Time will inform, because it often does.
The tenets of a Game 1 are hardly ever the truths of a protracted collection — besides possibly this one. The Celtics misplaced the ball Monday night time. They misplaced the sport and their home-court benefit. Protect your possessions, or the collection will observe.
On to Game 2.
Source: www.bostonherald.com