Simmons, Embiid too much for C’s
Brown’s 42 points tied his career high
Earlier this week, Tobias Harris said something the Celtics should especially understand, when he called Sixers teammate Joel Embiid “MVP-caliber.”
But the Celtics had no choice in their second straight game attempting to get between Embiid and the basket. They just had to make their double teams that much more effective, and above all foul less.
That much was marginally accomplished. The Sixers center only shot 14-for15 from the line this time, compared to Wednesday night’s 17-for-21 number – the one that sent Marcus Smart into the night with a wail.
And if Embiid still scored 39 points this time around, it was with more foul trouble and a tad more frustration over not getting the same volume of calls.
But this time it was another combination that sunk the Celtics in their third straight loss. Ben Simmons, as he rarely has against the Cs, took charge in the fourth quarter, while the Celtics were in the process of botching multiple possessions in their 122-110 loss.
So never mind that Jayson Tatum missed his third straight game while recovering from COVID-19, and that Payton Pritchard — the rookie guard who has become surprisingly indispensable this early in his career — left the game in the first quarter with a sprained right knee.
Brad Stevens needs a lot more from those still on the floor, with the great tragedy that Jaylen Brown, despite tying a career high with his second 42-point performance of the season, had to go back to the hotel empty.
“I think every time you take the floor, no matter who’s available if you’re a good team that you have a chance and give yourselves a chance no matter who’s available, who’s not available,” said the Celtics coach. “I’m disappointed in the way that we played in multiple big possessions in the fourth quarter.”
“We just have to be better. We have to be more detail-oriented,” he said. “Everything has to be crisper, everything has to be tighter, everything has to be done to perfection even more so when the other team is locked in. Too haphazard, in my opinion. Hey, we had guys out, they’ve got a really good team, they’re really physical, they hurt us with the physicality in both games this week. But whenever you step between the lines then you’ve got a chance to win if you can control what you can control. Win or lose, if we get over the hump or not in this game is not the point. The point is we have to do our jobs better.”
The Celtics, despite cutting the Philadelphia lead to five points (101-96) on a 7-0 run that included a Brown 3-pointer, a Javonte Green dunk after picking off an Embiid pass, and a Marcus Smart 16-footer, fell apart over the last six minutes.
Simmons, who checked in with 10 minutes left, scored eight of his 15 points in the last five minutes, including a tip-in in traffic and a pair of plays at the expense of Smart – a dunk off a steal and a drive for a three-point play.
But all were culpable in this one, at both ends, though the Celtics’ defensive breakdowns were particularly apparent.
“We just have to get that tenacity back,” said Brown.
“We’ve had it. This team is capable of it and we’ve had it at times. I don’t think it’s a lack of. We have that mentality. There’s been ups and downs this season, different protocols, but we can’t let that be a excuse. We had it in bits and pieces during this game and we still came up short. But we have to follow Smart’s lead, and I have to do a better job on that side of the ball, really impacting the defensive side like I know I can.
“Just really getting after guys, making them uncomfortable, rebounding, really making their life a living hell. I can do that, while being great offensively at the same time. It’s a level of commitment and mentality, and I’m capable of it. I’m up for it. Can do more and I will do more.”
The Pritchard watch: When Payton Pritchard fell to the floor following a first half collision with Brown, the scene looked far worse initially as the rookie sat on the floor, clutching his right knee. He finally had to be helped to the trainers room, where the initial prognosis was a sprained knee.
He later returned to the bench in street clothes, perhaps an encouraging sign, though Pritchard will undergo the usual battery of tests today.
“I didn’t ask what the next steps are. I would assume that he’s out in the next couple of days,” said Stevens. “I don’t know beyond that. I’m sure there are tests and stuff set up for tomorrow.”
Helping Brown: Brown has clearly placed a lot of pressure on himself during Tatum’s three-game absence. He needs help, as Kemba Walker agrees.
“We gotta help him out. It’s going to be hard obviously for him to do both at a very high level,” said Walker. “Obviously, tonight, he killed it offensively. I wish we could have helped him better on the offensive end, on both ends he could have used some help. Unfortunately, we missed some shots I think we would normally make. Jaylen’s playing, he’s hooping on both ends. I know he’s saying he can do a little bit more but there’s only so much he can do, ya know.”