The Boston Celtics blew a 3-1 series lead in the first round of the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers, a team that hadn't eliminated them in the postseason in over four decades.
And as if that wasn't bad enough on its own, the Celtics' collapse looks even worse following the 76ers' 137-98 blowout loss in Game 1 of the semifinals against the New York Knicks.
The 76ers got absolutely smoked in Game 1 vs. the Knicks
This was partially a schedule loss for Philadelphia, who only had one day of "rest" compared to the Knicks' three. Even so, this was a terrible loss for them, and it makes the Celtics look even worse, given how their series just went.
In the 76ers' loss, their "Big Four" of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and VJ Edgecombe scored a combined 56 points on 17-for-42 shooting (40.4 FG%). Additionally, their bench, which has widely been considered one of their biggest weaknesses, was being outplayed by New York's throughout the entirety of the game.
Philadelphia looked rough on both sides of the ball, and it felt like the team was never truly in control at any point in the game.
Of course, one game doesn't decide a whole series. The Celtics beat the 76ers (who were without Embiid) in Game 1 by a score of 123-91, and we all know how things turned out. There is still plenty of time for them to turn things around against New York and figure it all out, but Game 1 proved that, while they do have some talent, they are not built for legitimate playoff success this year.
And the fact that the Celtics lost to them, especially in the fashion they did, is brutal.
The Celtics still have a positive outlook moving forward
Regardless of how this season ended, there is still a lot to like about what the future should look like for Boston.
The Celtics will have Jayson Tatum for a full season again, and it will be exciting to see how Jaylen Brown builds on his MVP-caliber season. Additionally, it will be fun to see how other players (Neemias Queta, Luka Garza, Baylor Scheierman, for starters) develop from here.
Nothing is going to change how tough Boston's playoff loss was, but there are at least some reasons to be excited about where the team should be able to go from here. They should be right back in title contention next year, and they may even have an opportunity to exact revenge on the 76ers once it's all said and done.
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