Celtics Reminded Again How Hard It Is To Close Out A Series
By Matthew Geagan, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Celtics really didn't need a reminder, but they received a quick refresher on just how hard it is to close out a series in the playoffs on Monday night.
Not much went right for Boston in their Game 4 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, ending their chances at a second-round sweep and a nice long break before taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The 76ers played like a team facing a 3-0 series hole, desperate to keep their season going, and the Celtics were never able to match their intensity.
Let's get this out of the way now: The officiating was bad. It was actually pretty horrible. Scott Foster and Tony Brothers are two of the worst, and them being on the floor is always bad news for the Celtics for whatever reason. Monday night was no exception.
The Celtics were called for 11 straight fouls in the second quarter, and by the end of the first half three players already had a trio of fouls each. It killed any chances of momentum or aggressiveness for Boston. Some of the fouls were ticky-tack while others were egregious, like when Marc Smart ended up with Ben Simmons on top of him while diving for a loose ball, and was somehow was whistled for the foul.
The Celtics' frustrations with the zebras boiled over late in the third quarter after they had cut a double-digit Philly lead to just four points. Jaylen Brown was whistled for his fifth foul while giving some defensive help on a Ersan Ilyasova drive. He was mystified by the reach-in call, and a few seconds later was hit with a technical. Brad Stevens turned into "Mad Brad" and received a T of his own. Ilyasova completed his three-point play and Marco Belinelli hit bother technical freebies to push Philadelphia's lead back to nine, 71-62. It was the closest the Celtics would get the rest of the game.
The refs also missed a clear offensive goaltend by Joel Embiid in the fourth quarter, as the Philly big man sent down a Ben Simmons "pass" that was in the cylinder and likely going in on its own. That hoop pushed Philadelphia's lead to 12, 92-80, with 5:42 left in the game, and pretty much ended any late-game heroics by the Celtics.
The fouls evened out toward the end of the game, as Foster and Brothers got whistle happy on the 76ers after they had built an 18-point cushion (you know, the old "keep it close" rule in the NBA), and both teams finished the night with 26 free throws. The Celtics should have expected calls to go against them, as they tend to do in a close-out game on the road, and Stevens refused to pin the loss on the officiating.
"It has nothing to do with the officials. We have to play better," he said. "Philly did a great job. They pounded on us. They were very physical with us. They were tough."
The C's ehad coach is right. Ragging on the officials is fun and conspiracy theories in the NBA are far too easy to prove, but the Celtics were their own worst enemy on Monday night. For the first time all series, the moment got the best of them.
They had no answer for T.J. McConnell, whom Bret Brown inserted into the startling lineup for the first time this series. He rewarded his coach with a career-high 19 points, driving to the hoop with very little resistance from the Boston defense. Embiid had an impressive 15-point, 13-rebound double-double and was able to get under Boston's skin, while Simmons broke out of his funk with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Dario Saric came to play for the first time this series, finishing with a game-high 25 points for Philadelphia.
The Celtics simply gave Philadelphia too many extra chances on Monday night, and the 76ers cashed in. Boston turned the ball over 15 times, leading to 16 points for the 76ers (the Celtics had just three points off Philly's eight turnovers). They also surrendered 16 offensive rebounds that Philadelphia turned into 18 second-chance points. That sloppy play gave Philadelphia an absurd 19 more shots than the Celtics. When you give your opponent that many extra opportunities, it's hard to blame anyone but yourself for a loss.
Still, the Celtics were really only one run away from completing the sweep. Even when they were down 10 in the final minutes, Philadelphia did their best to let them back in. The 76ers went three minutes without putting points on the board, keeping the door ajar for one of those Boston comebacks we saw throughout the season. Instead, the Celtics missed four straight three pointers, and the chance for a comeback was sunk.
The results from Game 4 shouldn't shake your confidence in this team. While a sweep would have been wonderful, this was an expected hiccup for a squad in an unexpected spot. The 76ers have been favored in every game so far the series and very few picked the Celtics to even win the series, let alone own a 3-1 lead heading into Game 5 in Boston.
Boston remains a confident bunch as they head home with a second chance to end the set. Philadelphia made their adjustments in Game 4, and Stevens and the Celtics will make their own for Game 5. Tagged with a frustrating defeat, the Celtics are ready for another fight on Wednesday night.
"We're pit bulls," Smart said after Game 4. "It's a dog fight, and we're going straight for the neck."
The fourth win of the series is the hardest one to get. The Celtics know this, and Monday night was a nice reminder just in case their confidence was a little too high following the first three games. They have three more opportunities to end the series, but will be going for the jugular on Wednesday night.
