The Celtics blow a golden opportunity, again.
This Celtics teams demands a stomach ulcer in exchange for a championship. I’m not going to over react to a game 1 loss. James Harden went retro and had the game of his life. Maxey and pretty much everyone else on the 76ers were shooting lights out. Still, the same late game mistakes keep popping up. Malcolm Brodgon’s turnover made me question everything I have ever said about Marcus Smart being a liability in the 4th quarter. Tatum simply just has to shoot the ball there. Be a superstar, take, and make the shot. He was having a stellar game.
Can I ask? Where was the DPOY when Harden is going off for 50? Do the Celtics legit have a learning disability? Do they not remember Trey Young draining a knife in their gut with lax defensive coverage? So, as Harden’s hitting every shot possible we let them get the switch they want and easily burry his step back for another back breaking loss.
Oh, and the MVP of the league didn’t even play. I actually think Embid coming back not at 100% may not be the greatest thing for his team. The 76ers are now 13 - 5 without Embid. I have always had my issues with Embid and his style of play as the biggest dude in the league playing so sawft on the perimeter. He was oft to dog it early in his career too. Of course though, there is no denying his talent and impact when going right.
Like I said at the top. I won’t over react here. I still have the fucking Bruins collapse eating away at my mental health. So, I’ll predict James Harden can’t pull that magic trick three more times. The 6ers will need Embid to pull this out and even then it really shouldn’t be enough if the Celtics can just stay focussed.