The Boston Celtics had their chances, but this was one of those frustrating nights where nothing quite clicked offensively. They generated looks, a lot of them, but the shooting just never caught up, especially from deep, where they went ice cold. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers made them pay on the other end with far more efficient shot-making.
You can’t ignore the effort, though. Boston dominated the glass, moved the ball well at times, and got a monster all-around performance from Jayson Tatum. But when your backcourt can’t buy a shot and the supporting cast struggles to convert open looks, it puts way too much pressure on your stars to be perfect.
And even with Jaylen Brown pouring in 36, it just wasn’t enough to offset the inefficiency elsewhere. This felt like a game Boston lost more than Philly stole, and that’s what makes it sting. Here’s how each Celtics player graded out.
Jaylen Brown: A
Game Stats: 36 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 3 TOV, 11-24 FG, 5-12 3PT, 9-12 FT, 38 MIN
Brown carried the scoring load and never stopped attacking, even when the defense keyed in on him. He had stretches where he looked completely unstoppable. The only knock is efficiency from deep and a few missed free throws that could’ve tightened things late. Still, Brown kept the Celtics going all night long, and this was an MVP performance despite the inefficient shooting.
Jayson Tatum: A
Game Stats: 19 PTS, 14 REB, 9 AST, 1 STL, 3 TOV, 8-19 FG, 2-8 3PT, 1-2 FT, 39 MIN
Tatum flirted with a triple-double and did a little bit of everything. He controlled the glass, created for others, and kept the offense flowing. But the jumper wasn’t falling consistently, and Boston needed a bit more scoring punch from him. It might be time, however, to stop giving Tatum credit for being this good so early after his injury because he seems to be back to his All-Star form overall.
Nikola Vucevic: C+
Game Stats: 9 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST, 3-7 FG, 1-4 3PT, 2-2 FT, 18 MIN
Nikola Vucevic gave them some scoring inside and out, but nothing that really shifted momentum. He was fine, just not impactful enough to swing the game.
Neemias Queta: C
Game Stats: 8 PTS, 6 REB, 1 TOV, 3-4 FG, 2-2 FT, 28 MIN
Queta did his job; efficient scoring, solid rebounding, and physical presence inside. He didn’t try to do too much, which actually helped stabilize things. Quiet, but effective.
Payton Pritchard: C
Game Stats: 4 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 1 TOV, 2-8 FG, 0-4 3PT, 27 MIN
Pritchard facilitated well and stayed active, but the shooting struggles followed him too. Boston needed him to provide a spark, and it just didn’t happen.
Baylor Scheierman: C
Game Stats: 5 PTS, 1 REB, 1 STL, 2-2 FG, 1-1 3PT, 11 MIN
One of the few guys who actually knocked down shots efficiently. Small sample size, but he gave them a little juice.
Jordan Walsh: C
Game Stats: 3 REB, 0-1 FG, 9 MIN
Energy was there, but the impact was minimal. Didn’t hurt them, didn’t help much either.
Derrick White: D+
Game Stats: 8 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST, 3 TOV, 2 BLK, 3-12 FG, 2-10 3PT, 39 MIN
This was a rough shooting night, plain and simple. White got good looks but couldn’t convert, and it stalled the offense more than once. He contributed defensively, but the scoring struggles were hard to ignore.
Sam Hauser: D
Game Stats: 6 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST, 1 BLK, 2-8 FG, 2-8 3PT, 25 MIN
When Hauser’s shots aren’t falling, his impact shrinks quickly, and that was the case here. He had clean looks and just couldn’t knock them down. Tough night for a player whose role is built on spacing.
Luka Garza: N/A
Game Stats: 2 PTS, 3 REB, 1-2 FG, 2 MIN
Super limited minutes, but he made the most of them. Not much else to take away here.
