Inside The Celtics

Celtics Enamored with Threes That Don't Love Them Back in Loss vs. 76ers

Despite shooting 31.9 percent on threes, 52.2 percent of the Celtics' shots were from beyond the arc in their loss to the 76ers.

Bobby Krivitsky

Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports
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After starting the season 5-0, the Boston Celtics have come up short in two straight games. 

After falling 114-109 in an overtime tilt vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, the lack of a diverse offensive attack did them in on Wednesday night in Philadelphia.

Too often, the visitors weren't playing with the pace needed to fuel their offense. The same applies to them not getting downhill enough to collapse the defense and create drive-and-kick opportunities, which typically lead to high-quality in-rhythm looks. And their lack of ball movement remains concerning.

These were all issues highlighted in a recent film study of what went wrong against the Timberwolves.

But rather than showing progress on Wednesday, 52.2 percent of Boston's shots were from beyond the arc despite shooting 31.9 percent on threes in its 106-103 loss to the 76ers.

To the Celtics' credit, they played pretty well overall defensively, not letting their long-range misses take from their focus and effort at that end for the most part.

But while Kristaps Porzingis led all scorers with 29 points and all five starters reached double-figures, including Derrick White's registering 19 in his return, the Sixers produced 56 points in the paint, and the visitors saw the hosts parlay 12 offensive rebounds into 19 second-chance points.

And with Tyrese Maxey, who finished with 25 points, pushing the pace, Philadelphia generated 24 to Boston's 19 on the fast break.

Those three areas, points in the paint, in transition, and on second-chance opportunities, played a crucial role in why the outcome of a three-point game swung in the 76ers' favor.

It also didn't help that Jaylen Brown ended the night with 11 points on 13 shots, and Tatum had 16 on 14 field-goal attempts. The star duo's lack of production compared to Joel Embiid (27 points) and Maxey to put 52 on the board is a prime example of the Celtics needing to attack the basket more than they did on Wednesday.

Now for a deep dive into what stood out in a defeat that drops Boston to 5-2 and off its perch atop the East.

1. With Derrick White returning to the lineup after missing the Celtics' last two games, with him and his family welcoming their second child, he reclaimed his spot in the starting five -- of course -- with Al Horford shifting back to his sixth-man role.

2. Jrue Holiday's already drawn the assignments of defending Julius Randle and Karl-Anthony Towns this season. On Wednesday, head coach Joe Mazzulla tasked him with guarding Joel Embiid.

Boston would often have the five-time All-Defensive Team selection shade middle, with Kristaps Porzingis helping from the baseline, but the former UCLA Bruin was mostly on his own.

While the reigning MVP finished the first frame with ten points, pacing all participants, six occurred with Holiday on the bench. The 76ers star center went 1/3 and turned the ball over twice with the six-foot-four guard on him.

3. Embiid's giveaways led to points at the rim for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, helping fuel a 13-2 run for the visitors. That played a critical role in the Celtics taking a 27-22 edge into the second quarter.

4. But that lead didn't last long, as the hosts staged a 22-5 run, which started with Embiid out of the game. The Sixers, led by Tyrese Maxey, played with great energy and consistently pushed the pace.

They also grabbed five offensive rebounds, converting them into eight second-chance points, helping produce 18 in the paint in the second period.

5. Porzingis helped get Boston back on track, generating 12 of his 16 first-half points in the paint -- primarily in the restricted area -- or at the free-throw line. That included going 6/7 at the free-throw line and effectively working the pick-and-roll with Holiday, then finishing through contact.

6. But while the seven-foot-three center led all scorers after the opening 24 minutes, he was the Celtics' only player in double figures in the first half. Conversely, Maxey manufactured 14, and three other starters produced at least for Philadelphia.

The 76ers registered 11 fast-break points to Boston's two in the second frame, outscoring their guests 39-27, helping the hosts take a 61-54 advantage into the break.

7. The third quarter started well for the Celtics, who quickly pulled within one. They did a great job of limiting Philadelphia to two fast-break points, one offensive rebound, and no second-chance baskets.

But 16 of Boston's first 18 shots were threes. The visitors took 18 of their 24 field-goal attempts from beyond the arc despite finishing the period 5/18 (27.8 percent).

Their offense has lacked balance to start the season, and not attacking more and diversifying their attack was at the heart of only manufacturing 17 points in the period, including just two in the paint. 

They also had no free-throw attempts en route to scoring their fewest third-quarter points this season.

8. While they trailed 81-71 entering the final frame, on a positive note, the Celtics didn't let their offensive struggles impact their effort defensively, as they held the hosts to 20 points in the first 12 minutes after halftime.

Much of that had to do with their overall play in the first six minutes after the break, but limiting an opponent to that low of an output speaks to them continuing to hold up at that end for the most part.

9. It lasted less than two minutes, but interestingly enough, early in the fourth quarter, Joe Mazzulla deployed a lineup that didn't feature Tatum or Brown.

The combination of White, Payton Pritchard, Holiday, Sam Hauser, and Porzingis narrowly outpaced the Sixers, 6-4 in that stretch, trimming the deficit to 92-84 with 7:27 remaining.

10. While Boston went scoreless for a 3:44 stretch in the final period, the visitors made it interesting late, staging a 10-0 run to pull within four, 104-100, with 1:09 left.

Even after Embiid ended their burst with a tough turnaround fadeaway jumper over Tatum, the Celtics responded, with Brown drilling a three, pulling his team within three, 106-103, with 33.1 seconds to play.

Unfortunately for the visitors, they couldn't complete their comeback to steal the win, with Porzingis missing short on a clean look at a three on the game's final possession.

11. The Celtics' next game is their first of the NBA's inaugural in-season tournament. They host the Brooklyn Nets Friday night in a matchup that tips off at 7:30 EST.

Further Reading

Examining What Went Wrong for Celtics' Offense in Loss vs. Timberwolves

Here's What Stood Out as Celtics Suffer First Loss This Season in OT Tilt vs. Timberwolves

Jayson Tatum Discusses the Bond Between Him and the City He Stars In

From Self Doubt to Celtics History, Jayson Tatum Discusses Journey to 10,000 Points: 'I Didn't Think I Was Good Enough'

Jrue Holiday Discusses Celtics' Offense and Their Mindset: 'That's How Most People Like to Play Basketball'

Here's Where Jaylen Brown Impressed Joe Mazzulla the Most in Celtics' Win vs. Heat

Kristaps Porzingis Gives Glimpse of How He'll Boost Celtics Late-Game Offense

Under Joe Mazzulla, Celtics Rebuilding Brotherhood Between Past and Present

Candace Parker on Celtics Trading Marcus Smart, Maximizing Tatum-Brown Tandem, Pat Summitt, and the Sports Matter Initiative

Dwyane Wade Discusses Jayson Tatum's Next Step, Him and Jaylen Brown's Challenge, Heat Culture, Pat Riley, Damian Lillard, and Life After Basketball

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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