The Celtics know they let one slip away in their season-opening 117-116 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.
Joel Embiid was a shell of himself, to put it nicely. He finished 1-of-9 with four points and was a game-worst minus-16.
The Herculean performances of Tyrese Maxey, who poured in 40 points (13-of-24 FG, 7-of-9 3PT) with six assists, and rookie VJ Edgecombe, who added 34 points (13-of-26 FG, 5-of-13 3PT), steadied an otherwise tentative roster. Edgecombe’s total was the third most ever by a rookie in an NBA debut and the highest since Wilt Chamberlain in 1959, while Maxey’s 40 points were the most by a 76er in a season opener since 1969. Together, their efforts gave the 76ers life and carried them to a hard-fought win over a Celtics squad that fell apart down the stretch.
“Definitely a winnable game for us,” Jaylen Brown said. “We had some opportunities. Even at the end, we had some opportunities that didn't go our way.”
This Celtics team is in no position to be giving away wins, which makes losses like this — when they held an 11-point lead entering the fourth quarter, only to allow 42 points, 17 of which came in the final four minutes – even more frustrating.
But the reality is, this team is still in the early stages of development. They are very much a work in progress and are fully aware of that.
“It's a learning experience. It’s going to be a learning experience from day one. We’ve got a bunch of new guys. We're playing a new style. I thought we played hard today. I thought we played a winnable game,” Brown added. “Just some crucial errors that cost us. But I'm looking forward to watching film, learning, and staying on the journey. But that happens. We’ve got a new group that's still figuring things out. Some of these other teams and stuff have played together for a little bit more. So there's gonna be some ups and downs, but I'm looking forward to just learning every day with the group and looking forward to when we get to that point where we catch our wind, what that could possibly be.”
The Celtics showed flashes of how they can be a competitive team. Brown and Derrick White each had 25 points and four assists, scoring or assisting on 23 of Boston’s 41 made field goals (56%). Neemias Queta, aside from his fouling, was rock solid, scoring 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting (87.5%) with eight rebounds. Anfernee Simons looked to be a nice fit, finishing with 13 points (5-of-10 FG, 2-of-6 3PT), four rebounds, an assist, and a steal, while providing relatively sound defense — which, of course, is under close watch.
“I thought we had a lot of positives,” said Payton Pritchard. “Obviously, didn't get the outcome. But good positives. We'll keep growing from it. It's a game we should have had. So it's a learning experience.”
From a team standpoint, Boston outscored Philadelphia 35-18 in the third quarter. They held the Sixers to 7-of-21 (33.3%) shooting in the frame, forced five turnovers, and grabbed four offensive rebounds. Forty-five percent of Boston's third-quarter points came off turnovers (8) and second-chance points (8), areas that will be crucial for this team moving forward.
“Our activity in the third quarter is how we have to play for 48 minutes,” said Derrick White. “We've got to try to find whatever we did in that third quarter for 48 minutes."
There are eight new faces on the Celtics’ roster this season. Most of the team is being asked to take on elevated roles in a system that’s new to everyone. It’s going to take time. No team wants to drop games, especially the way the Celtics did on Wednesday. It’s an even tougher pill to swallow knowing wins won’t come easily, and you have to capitalize when they’re available. But it’s an unfortunate and necessary part of the learning curve for a roster with far less talent than in years past.
“We'll learn from this. We'll learn how to close. We'll learn spots where we could be better,” said Brown. “And that's what it's about — not looking for my guys to hang their heads whatsoever. We just get ready for the next one. On the road for the first time, it'll be a good test for our group.”
The Celtics were reminded that this isn’t going to be easy, especially as they work through the kinks of a new team and new identity coming together. And they’re hoping these growing pains offer valuable experience in understanding how they can turn into the team they want to be.
“It’ll be good to learn from this game and see what we did well, what we didn't do well, and kind of what actions we want to get into,” said White. “The best way to learn from it is to go through it.”
They saw glimpses of what they can be when they play their game, especially in the third quarter. Now, they have to find a way to put it all together for 48 minutes. It’s one of 82, and while the loss stings, the lessons matter — as long as they learn from them and stay focused on the path forward.
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