Sixers in 3-0 hole after another loss to the Celtics
With lost opportunities, Celtics’ OT victory, and Boston’s commanding 3-0 lead, it tolls for Sixers
PHILADELPHIA » Ben Simmons looked good in the box score, registering 16 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and two blocked shots in 43 minutes against the Boston Celtics Saturday at Wells Fargo Center.
Statistically, it looked like a solid bounceback game after scoring just one point in his previous start. Until, that is, you factor in a handful of costly mistakes.
There were four turnovers, including critical passing errors in the last minute of regulation and overtime, that were instrumental in the Sixers surrendering a 101-98 decision to the Celtics. No team has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven NBA playoff series.
There was a missed dunk by Simmons on a clear path to the basket in a tie game in the fourth quarter, the ball bouncing so high in the air everyone followed the path out of bounds. It looked like a miss in a dunk contest.
There was Simmons’ blocked shot of Terry Rozier’s three-pointer in the corner, followed by a run the other away in anticipation of an outlet pass. Only Aron Baynes of the Celtics got the loose ball, and funneled it right back to the wide-open Rozier, who nailed a three.
That’s probably not what Allen Iverson or LeBron James, who Simmons spoke to after his disastrous play in Boston, were intimating when they told the rookie to be himself in pick-me-up phone calls before Game 3.
“I’ve got a lot of growing to do,” Simmons said. “This is the first time I’ve played in the playoffs. I’m learning a lot. It’s a great opportunity for me. We’re all learning together.”
For Simmons, the most glaring errors came in overtime. The Sixers led by one point when Joel Embiid missed a fadeaway with 18 seconds remaining. Simmons got to the ball first and attempted a put-back, that was long. The Celtics came up with the ball and with 5.5 seconds left, Al Horford scored over Robert Covington on an inbounds play to give the Celtics the lead for good. It never entered Simmons’ mind to pull the ball out and work the clock.
“You never know what can happen after that,” Simmons said. “I mean, I had a wide open shot I make a lot of the time and I missed it. I think it was just natural instinct. Right at the rim is the shot I take every practice, every day. Every game I take one of those. And I missed it. You miss shots and you make them. You win and you lose.”
The final mistake was a miscommunication between Simmons and Embiid, who led the Sixers with 22 points and 19 rebounds in 41 minutes. Trailing, 99-98, Simmons inbounded toward Embiid near the three-point line. Horford made the steal and was fouled by Embiid before he could get to the basket. Horford made both freebies with 3.0 seconds left. He scored all 13 of his points in the second half and overtime.
“I knew he was fighting for the ball,” Simmons said of Embiid. “I was assuming Jo would come a little further out. Horford read it, was a little quicker and obviously just went to the ball.”
Sixers guard J.J. Redick, who made 6-of15 shots worth 18 points, had to pause and put some thought into a question about that turnover. Shouldn’t your point guard know he should set up another play rather than shoot in that situation?
“Yeah, I think that’s a judgment call,” Redick said. “I mean, it was right on the cusp of — I don’t know the exact timing — somewhere between 18 and 25 (seconds). We didn’t have the benefit of the clicker to stop the game and see how much time was left. It was a chance to score an easy two points. I probably would say he should probably take that up 10 times out of 10.”
There are no probables about this stat: No NBA team has survived a 3-0 start and won a best-of-seven playoff series. The Celtics, we all know by now, are 36-0 when ahead, 2-0, in a series.
While Brett Brown asked the question, why can’t the Sixers be the ‘1’ and break those streaks, the Celtics don’t play like they want to be that one. The win Saturday was their first on the road in the playoffs this year. It’s going to take every ounce of effort for the Sixers to force a fifth game.
“There were a lot of opportunities and a lot of mistakes we made,” Simmons said. “And it’s frustrating when you know what the mistakes are. But we’ve got to come in tomorrow and really lock in. It’s going to be very hard. Boston’s a great team. They’ve been there before. They’ve been in this situation before where they’re close to the next round. We want to get there, too. Obviously, it’s going to take a lot but we’re up to the challenge.”
On this night, the Sixers proved that they can compete with the Celtics for 48 minutes. The rest of the story is that they needed 53.
Drained, his voice strained, Brown commiserated about the costly turnovers. And Simmons’ decision to go to the rack instead of pulling the ball out to set up another play.
“If we had it again we’d probably take it out, have him chase you and chew up some clock,” Brown said. “On so many levels, this being one of them, it’s the thing I see and feel the most that our young guys at times, look young. We’re going to have to find places in this experience and learn from it. That’s a great example of one of them.”