Besides shooting, what went wrong for Celtics in Game 7 loss to 76ers?

TL;DR

The Boston Celtics lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 109-100 in Game 7, struggling with shooting and lineup changes. Key players like Jayson Tatum were absent, and the team failed to effectively counter Joel Embiid's performance.

Key points

Celtics lost 109-100 to 76ers in Game 7
Jayson Tatum was ruled out before the game
Celtics shot 26.5 percent from three-point range
Joel Embiid scored 34 points and dominated the game
Celtics made ineffective lineup changes

Boston CelticsPhiladelphia 76ers

BOSTON — It felt like the Boston Celtics had open shot after open shot down the stretch against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night. But when it mattered most, those good looks — especially from beyond the arc — did not find the net. It's a major reason why the C's ended up falling 109-100 to the Sixers in Game 7 at TD Garden, however, it feels shortsighted to blame the shooting woes and move on. There was more to the loss than missed 3-pointers. The Celtics did shoot an abysmal 26.5 percent from deep, yet they had 2 more triples than the 76ers (13-11) and were 0-2 in the first-round series when their Atlantic Division rival won the 3-point battle, which isn't exactly egregious.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George shoots against Boston Celtics guard Derrick White during the third quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on April 30. "People didn't say that when we had a 3-1 lead," Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard replied in the locker room when asked if the Celtics relied too much on outside shooting. "We had good looks, and if we hit them, then nobody says anything. So, that's the end of the story. You just got to make them." So, let's listen to Pritchard and disregard the Celtics' shooting for the time being. Where else did the Green Team go wrong in Game 7?

The Celtics made an ineffective lineup change

After squandering Game 5 at home and Game 6 on the road, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla knew he had to try something new in Game 7. Or, at least he was compelled to when Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum was unexpectedly ruled out for the contest with left knee stiffness just a few hours before tipoff. As a result, and to the surprise of many, the Celtics trotted out a starting lineup consisting of center , wing , and guard They joined usual starting guards and to round out a first five that the Sixers surely didn't see coming. This change didn't work though, as the Celtics quickly fell into a 9-0 hole and the three aforementioned players who had never started in a playoff game before tallied 0 points, 1 assist, 1 turnover, and 2 steals altogether in the first quarter. "We had to adjust throughout the series," Brown stated postgame. "Different lineups, different adjustments, and it just didn't go our way." Mazzulla realized his experiment wasn't working and pulled all of the new starters by the 5-minute mark. Unfortunately for the Celtics, a fair amount of damage was already done and things continued to spiral. They ended the first quarter down 13 points in a do-or-die game where they really could have benefitted from a hot start.

Q&A

What were the main reasons for the Celtics' loss in Game 7 against the 76ers?

The Celtics struggled with poor shooting, ineffective lineup changes, and lacked sufficient offensive support for their key players.

How did Jayson Tatum's absence impact the Celtics in Game 7?

Tatum's unexpected absence forced the Celtics to alter their starting lineup, which contributed to their slow start and inability to recover.

What was Joel Embiid's performance in Game 7 against the Celtics?

Joel Embiid dominated the game with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists, proving difficult for the Celtics to defend effectively.

What lineup changes did the Celtics make for Game 7, and were they effective?

The Celtics introduced new starters including Luka Garza and Baylor Scheierman, but the changes were ineffective, leading to a quick deficit in the game.