The Celtics rallied from a halftime deficit, but they couldn’t close as they lost 102-100 to the 76ers on Tuesday in Philadelphia. The C’s dropped to 5-7 on the season while the Sixers improved to 7-4.
The Celtics struggled to make a shot in the first half as they converted on just 28% of their field goals and 19% of their 3-pointers. Despite that, they still kept it to a 10-point halftime deficit as they rebounded well and didn’t turn the ball over. The bench stepped up as it scored 25 of the Celtics’ 41 points at the break.
But the C’s quickly stormed back after halftime against the Sixers, the worst third quarter team in the league. Boston won the quarter 36-20 to take the lead. The game went back-and-forth from there as both sides got big shots. Ultimately, the Sixers took the lead for good courtesy of Kelly Oubre’s put-back layup with 8.7 seconds left in the game.
Jaylen Brown finished with 24 points and six rebounds, shaking off a tough start. Derrick White added 18 points and seven assists. Tyrese Maxey had 21 points but it was on poor efficiency. Justin Edwards was on fire as he scored 22 points on 8-for-9 shooting.
The Celtics return home to face the Grizzlies at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at TD Garden. Here are four takeaways from Boston’s loss to Philadelphia:
Another close loss: These division rivals are seemingly destined to only play tight games. The margins were razor thin once again as the Celtics were just one play away from a win. It’s already the seventh time this season the C’s have played in a clutch game — they’re also now 2-5 in such games. While it’s still early and there’s no reason to panic, the Celtics have struggled to pick up close wins more times than not this season. That’s an area worth monitoring going forward.
Rebounding margin: The Celtics were the better team throughout the night on the glass, outrebounding the Sixers 62-50. They also had 13 offensive rebounds compared to eight for the 76ers, leading to a 12-8 advantage in second-chance points. Considering that’s been a weakness for the C’s, that was a good sign. But Oubre getting the offensive rebound and layup came at a tough moment as it sealed the victory for Philadelphia.
Stacking nights: It was another solid night from Jordan Walsh as it’s clear he can hang defensively. Walsh finished with 29 minutes, eight points and seven rebounds, fresh off his stellar performance in the win over the Magic last time out. Walsh also started the second half for Josh Minott with the other normal starters. He not only got crunch-time minutes, but he held up well guarding Maxey down the stretch, as well. When the Celtics drafted the young wing, it was clear he could profile well defensively as long as he could keep up physically. Through the past few games, Walsh has proven that he can give the Celtics productive minutes like he did Tuesday.
Slowing them down: Maxey has been a consistent threat throughout the league, coming into Tuesday’s game averaging 33.2 points per game. But the Celtics slowed down the guard compared to his normal standards. Maxey shot just 5-for-17 from the field overall, though he added five rebounds and nine assists. It was a similar case for rookie guard V.J. Edgecombe, who struggled Tuesday. Edgecombe scored just six points on 2-for-11 shooting. It was a far cry from his 34-point debut against the Celtics back on opening night.
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