Inside The Celtics

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 1 Loss vs. Sixers: The Perplexing Defeats Have Become More Predictable

James Harden torches Celtics for 45 points as Boston drops the ball again.

Bobby Krivitsky

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
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The Sixers' rallying for a 119-115 win over the Celtics in Game 1 might prove the most meaningful matchup in this series.

Just like not all baskets, regardless of point value, are created equal, not every win or loss in a playoff series holds the same weight.

Philadelphia can now feel more comfortable resting Joel Embiid until this series moves to the City of Brotherly Love. Boston's not efficiently closing out the Hawks already bought the Sixers' star center two extra days of rest and rehab. If his return's pushed back to Friday and it helps him consistently perform at his best, his team might be the one advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Even if the Celtics make it through this round, Monday's loss makes the path to Banner 18 more challenging. The bill for that being how last year's Finals run unfolded came due on the NBA's brightest stage; the more they fail to capitalize on games like Monday's, the more likely they are to let this opportunity slip.

Now, a deep dive into what stood out as Boston dropped the ball in its series opener against Philadelphia.

1. Jaylen Brown came out with tremendous energy to start the series opener, pushing the pace, moving without the ball, and getting to the basket. 

He also had two assists, including this one to Jayson Tatum.

Brown's other assist came on the hosts' first possession, when he and Al Horford orchestrated an effective give-and-go, with the former delivering an entry pass to the latter, cutting, getting the ball back, drawing Horford's defender, then dishing back to him for a layup.

Brown also drilled his first two threes, registering ten of the Celtics' first 20 points. The two-time All-Star finished the first frame with a team-high 14 points, helping Boston take a 38-31 lead into the second quarter.

2. As a team, the Celtics emphasized playing up-tempo throughout the first 12 minutes. Operating with pace is paramount to Boston being at its best, and it repeatedly paid off in the first frame.

That included Brown pushing off a Sixers' make, leading to a breakdown by Philadelphia defensively that produced an open three for Malcolm Brogdon, who drilled it from the right wing.

The hosts' playing up-tempo off makes and misses is at the root of their 38-point first period, shooting 85 percent from the field, including 4/6 (66.7 percent) from three-point range, assisting on 11/17 made baskets.

It's also at the center of why the Celtics generated a 26-8 advantage in points in the paint and a 10-2 edge in fast-break scoring.

3. Without star center Joel Embiid, it's understood the Sixers will more heavily emphasize playing up-tempo, taking more threes, and aggressively crashing the offensive glass. Playing the Hawks in the previous round should help Boston against that approach.

While Philadelphia only grabbed two offensive rebounds and manufactured one second-chance basket, the Sixers' pace helped create open threes. The visitors drilled three of their first four long-range attempts. They went 5/12 (41.7 percent) in the first quarter, and their 11/19 (57.9 percent) performance from behind the arc in the first half had the most to do with Philadelphia entering the break within three, 66-63, despite Embiid's absence.

4. The hosts committing seven turnovers in the first 24 minutes, leading to a 13-4 advantage in points off giveaways in the first half, didn't help the Celtics' cause either.

5. Tatum playing up to his superstar status in the second quarter was a far more welcome development for Boston. The four-time All-Star erupted for 20 points on eight of 11 shooting in the period.

While Tatum did most of his damage beyond the arc, burying all four attempts, he also stayed active without the ball to produce points in the paint.

Tatum's 26 first-half points are the second-most by a Celtic since Ray Allen registered 27 in the first 24 minutes of Game 2 of the 2010 Finals, per ESPN Stats&Info.

6. While Boston's pace of play started slowing down in the second quarter, the hosts were guilty of not initiating their offense quickly enough for more of the third. That fed into committing five turnovers and shooting 38.9 percent from the field in a frame they only scored 21 points.

While the Sixers only put 24 points on the board that period, shooting 41.7 percent from the floor and coughing the ball up four times, with the Celtics out of rhythm, their worst of the first three quarters led to the game being tied at 87 entering the final frame.

7. Winning between the margins made a massive difference for the Celtics down the stretch. Whether it was Marcus Smart manufacturing points off cuts or second-chance baskets like a Horford put-back on Boston's third shot of the possession, the hustle plays tilted the game in the hosts' favor.

But with Philadelphia keeping it close despite a 16-8 edge for the Celtics in points in the paint with a minute left in the game, it took one costly blunder to put a potential win in jeopardy for Boston.

With the shot clock ticking down, Brogdon drove, turned, and fired a kick-out pass, except it went into the waiting arms of Tyrese Maxey, who casually strolled to a breakaway layup, giving the Sixers a 114-113 lead with 28.2 seconds remaining.

Tatum attacked his way to the basket, earning a trip to the free-throw line, where he put the Celtics back in front, 115-114, but James Harden, who was outstanding Monday night, countered with a three that put the hosts down two with 8.4 seconds on the clock.

Boston didn't even give itself a chance to strike back, as an errant pass by Smart, the hosts' fourth turnover of the quarter, led to Paul Reed free throws as Philadelphia rallied for a 119-115 win.

Taking Game 1 at TD Garden makes it easier for the Sixers to buy Embiid more time and hold him out until the series moves to Philadelphia. Monday's loss and the Sixers' star center having more time to return at his best or close to it could prove the difference in who advances from this matchup to the Eastern Conference Finals.

8. Pace of play proved a massive issue for the Celtics on Monday. After their up-tempo approach yielded outstanding results in the first quarter, Philadelphia's zone defense slowed the operation, leading to 16 turnovers, twice as much as the visitors, who outscored the hosts 20-13 off giveaways.

The Sixers' zone defense also accomplished its primary objective as the Celtics shot 6/20 (30 percent) from beyond the arc in the last three frames.

9. That combination kept Philadelphia in the game. So did the Sixers' shot-making. Forced to downsize, it predictably led to them playing faster and spreading the floor. From there, James Harden put Boston's defense in a pretzel.

The three-time scoring champion registered a game-high 45 points, knocking down 17/30 field goals, including 7/14 threes. Adding to the impressive nature of his performance, Harden only took four free throws.

There's also an argument the Celtics doubled him too much, as he routinely found open teammates who capitalized on clean looks.

De'Anthony Melton, one of the beneficiaries of Boston sending an extra defender at Harden, came off the bench to produce 17 points, making 5/6 threes.

But when the help didn't come, Harden made the hosts pay, with his three over Horford to put his team ahead with less than ten seconds left the prime example.

Collectively, Philadelphia made 17/38 threes to the Celtics' ten on 12 fewer attempts; when the battle beyond the arc is lost that decisively, the game typically goes to the team who shot better.

10. Game 2 between the Celtics and Sixers is Wednesday night at TD Garden; tip-off is at 8:00 p.m. EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the matchup before, during, and afterward. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post. 

Further Reading

Jaylen Brown Discusses Celtics and Sixers Rivalry, Bill Russell's Legacy

Here's What We Know About the Celtics-Sixers Second-Round Schedule

Celtics Praise Joe Mazzulla's Poise, Adaptability After Advancing Past Hawks: 'That's What It's All About, Especially in the Playoffs'

Celtics Discuss Difference-Maker in Game 6 vs. Hawks: 'In the Playoffs, You've Got Basketball, You've Got Execution, And Then You've Got This Like Fight That's Kind of Going On'

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 6 Win vs. Hawks: Boston Delivers Late Haymaker, are on to a Date with the Sixers

Celtics Praise Robert Williams for Impact in What They Deemed a Must-Win Game 4: 'Can't Even Give Words to What Rob Does on Our Team'

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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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