It was a familiar playoff night at TD Garden on Tuesday evening. The Boston Celtics missed a lot of shots that they would normally make, and their opponents made more jumpers than one would realistically expect. As a result, the Celtics suffered a double-digit loss in a game they were widely expected to win.
The fact that Celtics fans have seen this movie plenty of times over the last five years doesn't make it any less frustrating. Boston went 13/50 from three, the clutch offense looked predictable, and the Celtics had a difficult time containing the Sixers' backcourt. Philadelphia shot 48.7% from three, fueled by 11/22 shooting from Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, on its way to a 111-97 win.
Celtics Fans Have Nothing to Worry About Despite Game 2 Loss
There are certainly lessons to be learned from this game, but there isn't actually much cause for concern for Celtics fans. This loss can largely be explained by shooting variance, as it has often been the case in the Joe Mazzulla era. A regression to the mean for the Sixers and a progression to the mean for the Celtics from the three-point range should give Boston the edge as the series heads to Philly.
This isn't to disregard what the Sixers did on Tuesday night. They took advantage of the Celtics' defensive game plan and executed perfectly. Boston likes to play drop coverage and keep its centers close to the rim. Philadelphia was very aggressive in using that to its advantage and had Edgecombe and Maxey create shots for themselves off the dribble.
Stepping into jumpers after the pick-and-roll and attacking the space in the mid-range created by the backtracking Celtics center, the Sixers were able to get a ton of good looks.
Shooting 42.1% on self-created three-point attempts for the game certainly helps, but it's undeniable that the Sixers were much more comfortable in Game 2 compared to Boston's Game 1 demolition.
On on one end of the floor, Maxey and Edgecombe wreaked havoc on Boston's drop coverage. On the other end, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were dribbling the air out of the ball with the hope of attacking mismatches. This didn't go anywhere and the Celtics' difficult shot diet led to 4/16 from three, zero free throws, and 20 points in the fourth quarter.
Yet, the Celtics continue to be the serious favorite going forward. Their defensive approach against Maxey needs to change. They need to reconsider their rotations at center. They have to keep their offensive identity down the stretch even when things aren't going well. While all of this is true, Boston is the better team, has a better head coach, and is playoff-tested. With a few minor tweaks, the Celtics should be able to return to Boston with a 3-1 lead.
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