Crunch-time lapses by their two most established gamers burned the Celtics in Tuesday night time’s loss to the 76ers.
First, Jaylen Brown was caught napping on a go-ahead putback by Philadelphia’s Kelly Oubre Jr. with 8.7 seconds remaining. Then, Derrick White, beneath stress from Andre Drummond, rushed a heave from simply inside halfcourt with 2.5 seconds on the clock. His shot missed the mark, and Neemias Queta couldn’t tip it house on the buzzer, closing out a 102-100 road loss for Boston.
Brown, who scored 14 of his 24 factors within the third quarter to energy a Celtics comeback, stated after the sport that he “let my guys down tonight” together with his “poor efficiency … on each side of the ball.” He admitted to “ball-watching” on Philly’s game-winner, failing to field Oubre out after Jordan Walsh denied a Tyrese Maxey drive and Justin Edwards misfired on a 3-pointer.
“Maxey was driving,” Brown told reporters in Philadelphia. “He turned his again. I believed I might go make a play. I used to be guarding (Edwards). I believed that if I went to go make a play that it wouldn’t be sufficient time for them to get a shot off, however I ended up leaving (Edwards) large open for a 3. After which (I) type of was like, ‘(Expletive).’ After which Oubre simply type of, I assume, simply slipped behind me for a simple offensive rebound. I bought caught ball-watching. You’ve simply bought to get in there and get within the combat.”
The Celtics referred to as a play for Brown on the following possession, however the Sixers doubled him with Oubre and Maxey. He fed a move to White, who had the ball briefly knocked from his grasp by Drummond. White regathered the ball and chucked it from 38 toes.
“JB bought two guys on him, he hit me, I misplaced it and I type of rushed it there on the finish,” White told reporters. “I don’t know why. I had extra time than what I did there.”
White, like Brown, was glorious within the third quarter (13 factors, 6-for-9, 3-for-3 from three), however he shot 1-for-8 within the first half and 1-for-6 within the fourth.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla blamed the failed ultimate play on poor execution.
“We wished to create some indecision on a pick-and-roll, downhill drive,” Mazzulla told reporters. “We pressured a change, nonetheless had three seconds, noticed Neemi beneath the rim. Simply didn’t execute it.”
The Celtics led within the fourth quarter in 4 of their seven losses this season, together with every of their final three (Utah, Orlando and Philly). They held a 92-84 benefit with six minutes to play Tuesday night time, however three consecutive 3-pointers by Edwards put the Sixers again in entrance, and Boston couldn’t survive a busy end that featured 5 lead modifications and two ties.
