The Boston Celtics squandered a potentially winnable game against the Philadelphia 76ers on opening night. With their defense faltering and poor execution in the final moments at TD Garden, the Celtics face numerous questions as they start a season filled with uncertainties.
Navigating how to perform and achieve victories without Jayson Tatum will be challenging. Although the Celtics learned valuable lessons on opening night, they ultimately lost to a less competitive team. These are the types of games that Boston cannot afford to let slip as the season progresses.
After trailing at halftime, the Celtics surged in the third quarter, outscoring the 76ers 35-18. It appeared the team would secure a win as they led by nine points with just over three minutes remaining, but disaster struck.
Philadelphia finished strong with a 15-2 run in the last three minutes, and the Celtics missed two crucial opportunities to win in the final seconds, ultimately falling 117-116. If the Celtics hope to be tenacious and opportunistic this season, they must address their defensive shortcomings, which were glaring on Wednesday night.
Celtics Struggle to Close Out Games
Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe posed major challenges throughout the game, combining for 74 points. Both excelled in the fourth quarter, with Maxey contributing 15 points and Edgecombe adding nine. Boston’s perimeter defense crumbled, allowing Philadelphia to shoot 7-for-10 from three-point range in the final period, including a pivotal three-pointer from Kelly Oubre.
Despite a couple of chances to reclaim the lead after Edgecombe’s missed free throws, Pritchard missed two last-second shots. It is baffling that Jaylen Brown, who scored 25 points, did not receive a shot in those crucial moments, even though the intention was to pass to him on the final play.
Defensive Issues Loom Large
The Celtics’ defense utterly failed in the fourth quarter, allowing a staggering 42 points. For a team that aims to be defensively dominant, this cannot be acceptable.
While the team effectively contained Joel Embiid, limiting him to just four points, they were overwhelmed by Maxey and Edgecombe. Coach Joe Mazzulla pointed to transition defense as a key problem, as the Celtics allowed 21 fast-break points during the game.
Shooting Woes from Deep
Boston is expected to rely heavily on three-point shooting, but that aspect faltered in the game, with the Celtics shooting just 11-for-43 (25.6%). They only managed to hit 2-for-7 in the fourth quarter.
While White scored 25 points, he struggled from beyond the arc, going 4-for-13. Pritchard was particularly off, only hitting 1-of-7 attempts. In contrast, the 76ers excelled in this department, making 16 of their 40 attempts (40%) overall, including a remarkable 7-for-10 in the fourth quarter.
Positive Performance from Neemias Queta
On a brighter note, Neemias Queta had a strong showing for Boston, starting the game and finishing with 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting, along with eight rebounds. He played a crucial role in the fourth quarter, scoring eight points without missing a shot before fouling out with 1:42 remaining.
