Inside The Celtics

Joe Mazzulla Discusses Joel Embiid's 52-Point Performance and Whether the Celtics Should Have Done Anything Differently

The Celtics and Sixers will likely see each other again in the playoffs.

Bobby Krivitsky

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
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Tuesday night in the City of Brotherly Love, the Sixers avoided a season sweep at the hands of the Celtics, earning a 103-101 win.

Leading 103-96 with less than nine seconds left, it seemed like Philadelphia would have no trouble putting the finishing touches on its first victory this season against its conference rival.

That's when Marcus Smart-induced chaos ensued, as he manufactured a layup while getting fouled. Then, he perfectly executed the intentionally missed free throw, as the ball ricocheted off the rim and the backboard before returning to him. That led to a White three, bringing Boston within two with two seconds remaining.

An offensive foul on Joel Embiid as the hosts tried to get the ball in, gave the visitors one last chance to tie or win the game, but Jayson Tatum's baseline jumper over Tobias Harris and the Sixers' star center was off the mark.

While P.J. Tucker catching fire, drilling three corner threes in the final three minutes, pushed Philadelphia across the finish line, Embiid's 52-point performance, knocking down one mid-range jumper after another, did the heavy lifting.

Still, as detailed in a film study earlier this season, the Celtics will live with him inflicting damage from that area, provided they can withstand the hit. The key is not sending him to the free-throw line.

Embiid's averaging 11.8 foul shots per contest this campaign, the second most behind Giannis Antetokounmpo. Tuesday, he went 12/13 at the stripe.

That's an acceptable outcome, especially when Boston's only committing eight turnovers, limiting the Sixers' transition points, and holding them to 11 made threes and 16 free-throw attempts.

While the Celtics generated plenty of quality shots, more than anything, going 15/45 (33.3 percent) from three-point range is what did them in.

Considering the visitors didn't have Jaylen Brown (lower back pain) and Robert Williams (left knee injury management), that the hosts needed this more, combined with Boston's poor shooting and Embiid's offensive eruption, this game reinforced the Celtics are a bad matchup for Philadelphia.

They'll likely finish second and third in the East and face each other in the second round of the playoffs. And the Sixers are plenty capable of winning that series, should it happen. But Boston going 3-1 against them this season and Tuesday's loss unfolding the way it did spells out who the favorite to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals would be if they're in a best-of-seven.

It's why Celtics' head coach Joe Mazzulla expressed the following when asked after Tuesday's tilt if his team should have done anything differently in hopes of slowing Embiid down.

"He didn't get (points in) transition (and) we didn't foul him. I think our offense, we just weren't elite tonight, and when your offense isn't elite, it puts pressure on your defense against great, great players like tonight.

"And so, when you have some empty possessions, and he's playing that way from mid-range, you've just gotta stick with it as long as you can, and if (P.J.) Tucker doesn't make those three threes, it's a completely different game. Or if we let Embiid keep going, maybe he misses a couple; we don't know.

"But I thought our guys competed. I thought they were very detailed in keeping him off the free-throw line, and I thought he just had a great night, and we weren't tremendous on the offensive end like we normally are."

Further Reading

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Loss vs. Sixers: Joe Embiid's Dominance Helps Philadelphia Avoid Season-Sweep

Celtics Star Jaylen Brown Opens Up About Dealing with Trade Rumors

Jaylen Brown on His Relationship with Jayson Tatum: 'We’re a Part of Each Other’s Destiny'

Will the Celtics Prioritize Push for the 1 Seed or Rest? Joe Mazzulla Sheds Light on Boston's Approach

[Film Room] What the Celtics Did to Slow Down Giannis Antetokounmpo in Blowout vs. Bucks

Jayson Tatum Wasn't Supposed to Play vs. the Jazz, But Celtics' Travel Delay Added to His Motivation to 'Go Through it with the Guys'

The Celtics are Proud of Their Growth, Including Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown's Maturation: 'I think We're a Better Team'

Former Warriors' Director of Performance Keke Lyles Shares His Perspective on Load Management, Changing Stephen Curry's Movement Patterns, And What's Helped Jayson Tatum's Durability

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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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