Inside The Celtics

Here's What Stood Out in Game 5 Loss: Celtics Falls Flat as Sixers Push Them to Brink of Elimination

Joel Embiid's 33-point performance propels Sixers past a Celtics team that failed to meet the moment in a pivotal Game 5 on its home floor.

Bobby Krivitsky

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
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The Celtics failed to meet the moment on Tuesday. The energy and physicality needed to protect the parquet often weren't there. Neither was a crowd that was inexplicably flatter than they've been all season.

And with the Sixers' switch-heavy approach defensively bogging down Boston's offensive operation, the hosts never found their rhythm offensively. They shot below 40 percent from the field and went 12/38 (31.6 percent) from beyond the arc.

Conversely, Philadelphia drilled 50.6 percent of its shots, including 12/30 (40 percent) of its threes. Joel Embiid registered a team-best 33 points. James Harden chipped in 17 and led all participants with ten assists.

After starting 0/5, Jayson Tatum warmed up, finishing with a game-high 36 points, but it wasn't enough to lead the Celtics to a comeback win in a game they played from behind nearly all night.

Boston got 24 points from Jaylen Brown, who went 3/8 at the free-throw line.

Now, the Celtics head to the City of Brotherly Love in danger of losing three-straight games and having its season end in the second round of the playoffs. After squandering one great opportunity after another, let's see if they can force a Game 7.

But before then, a deep dive into what stood out in Boston's 115-103 loss in a pivotal Game 5 of a series it was once on the verge of leading 3-1 as it shifted back to TD Garden.

1. In what seems fair to categorize as a must-win game, Jayson Tatum played the entire first frame but went 0//5 from the field. He also only got to the free-throw line once and split those attempts, putting only one point on the board in the first 12 minutes.

2. Boston only registered 26 points in the opening period but attacked downhill effectively, getting into the gaps, leading to 12 points in the paint. The hosts' ability to collapse the defense also created quality looks beyond the arc, translating to making 4/11 (36.4 percent) of their threes.

3. The Celtics weren't physical enough consistently on defense, and Philadelphia often capitalized on open shots the former afforded them, like a Joel Embiid three above the break. The visitors knocked down 52 percent of their field goals, including 5/9 (55.6 percent) of their threes.

Boston also needed to be better about limiting the Sixers to one shot per possession. The latter parlayed four offensive rebounds into five second-chance points.

4. Tobias Harris, whose impact is often underwhelming, made two shots when his team needed it in the second quarter. The first was a jumper that stopped a 10-0 Celtics run and extended Philadelphia's lead to seven.

The former Tennessee Volunteer then drilled a three a little more than two minutes later, pushing the visitors' advantage back to double digits, 59-31, with 4:11 left in the first half.

Harris had 12 points on 5/8 shooting at halftime.

5. The second frame was a rock fight. The Sixers outscored the hosts 25-23. Both teams shot below 37% from the field. Boston got a lot of good looks that didn't go down but taking 18 free throws and making 14 kept them within nine at the break, entering the locker room trailing 58-49.

6. Jayson Tatum was far more productive in the second quarter than in the first. Bringing the ball up and proper floor spacing set him up to attack downhill. The four-time All-Star converted that into 13 points on 3/6 shooting, and his aggressive approach led to seven free throws, with him knocking down six.

Tatum also cut down the lane for a two-handed flush on a second-chance opportunity, and he drilled his first three of the night, entering halftime with 14 points.

7. A reluctance to attack Embiid and challenge him at the rim reduced how much the Celtics were attacking north to south.

And with Embiid camped in the paint, playing off Al Horford. The latter couldn't make the visitors pay for that, missing all seven of his shots, each coming beyond the arc in a scoreless performance that made it easier for the Sixers to bog down Boston's operation.

8. With 3:04 left in a third quarter that the Celtics had only scored 15 points in, and his team needing a spark, trailing 80-64, Joe Mazzulla brought Payton Pritchard into the game.

Hoping more speed would quicken the pace, lead to better shooting from three-point range, and get the hosts back in the game, Mazzulla deployed a unit featuring Pritchard, Malcolm Brogdon, Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum, and Robert Williams.

While that lineup had some success offensively, Boston entered the final 12 minutes down by as much as when Mazzulla first unveiled that combination, being behind by 16 after the first three periods.

9. The Sixers' switch-heavy approach defensively helped them control the pace of play and slowed the Celtics' offensive operation. And while they repeatedly left Marcus Smart open, he was often unwilling to shoot, especially in the third frame, in which he took two shots, missing both.

Smart finished with 14 points and four assists.

10. Before the game, Doc Rivers used the common basketball expression, "It's a make-or-miss league." His team was on the better end of that Tuesday, as Boston shot below 40 percent from the field, including 12/38 (31.6 percent) from behind the arc.

At the opposite end, Philadelphia converted on 50.6 percent of its field goals, burying 12/30 (40 percent) of its threes. The visitors played better defensively, whereas the Celtics consistently demonstrated poor pick-up points, allowing Harden and Maxey, the latter of whom scored 30 points, to step into open shots. Their on-ball defense also failed to earn a passing grade on Tuesday.

The price for faceplanting in Game 5 is the defending Eastern Conference champions head to Philadelphia with their season on the line as they fight to extend this second-round series against their division rival.

Up Next

Game 6 between the Celtics and Sixers is Thursday at Wells Fargo Center; tip-off is at 7:30 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

Derrick White Named to 2022-2023 NBA All-Defensive Second Team

Jaylen Brown Shares His Evaluation of Celtics' Late-Game Offense He Mostly Wasn't Involved in

Joe Mazzulla Explains Why He Didn't Take a Timeout in Celtics' Game 4 Loss to Sixers

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 4 Loss to Sixers: Boston Falls One Play Short of 3-1 Lead

Joe Mazzulla Sheds Light on Keys to Celtics' Defense Stifling Sixers in Game 3 Win

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 3 Win vs. Sixers: Boston Shows Its Championship-Mettle, Takes 2-1 Series Lead

Celtics Praise Jaylen Brown for Setting Tone in Game 2 Win vs. Sixers: 'It's as Good of a Game as I've Ever Seen Him Play'

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 2 Win vs. Sixers: Renewed Defensive Commitment, Three-Point Barrage Even the Series

Film Room: Recalibrating Celtics' Defense for Game 2 Against Sixers

Celtics Address Letting Guard Down in Game 1 Loss to Sixers Team Missing Joel Embiid

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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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