What 76ers dismal second round says about Celtics defense

Q: Why did the Boston Celtics lose to the Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs?

The Celtics lost due to poor perimeter defense and a significant drop in their defensive rating during the playoffs.

Q: What were Tyrese Maxey's playoff performance stats against the Celtics?

Tyrese Maxey averaged nearly 27 points per game against the Celtics but dropped to 18.3 points per game in the next series against the Knicks.

Q: How did Joel Embiid's health affect his performance against the Celtics?

Joel Embiid struggled initially against the Celtics due to fatigue from an appendectomy, averaging 28 points on 44.3 percent shooting in the series.

Q: What did Celtics President Brad Stevens say about the team's playoff exit?

Brad Stevens acknowledged the need for roster improvement, stating that being eliminated in the first round indicates they are not where they need to be.

BOSTON — For the first time since 2021, the Boston Celtics exited the playoffs in the first round. This likely caused many Celtics fans to tune out of the postseason completely. However, watching the next rounds could provide the C's with some important information, especially regarding the team who defeated them: the rival Philadelphia 76ers. On Sunday (May 10) afternoon, the Sixers were demolished by the New York Knicks, 144-114, resulting in an embarrassing sweep. The beatdown marked the first time since 2021 in which the team who eliminated the Celtics from the playoffs failed to advance to the second round. And it was the first time since 2018 that the playoff opponent who bested the Celtics got swept in the following series.

May 2, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) drives past Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) during the first quarter of game seven of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images So, what does that tell the Celtics? For one, it suggests that the second-seeded C's weren't as close to a title as some might have thought. That won't come as a shock to the organization, as Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens admitted during his exit interview that he needs to improve the roster. He didn't shy away from the Celtics' postseason failure. "When you get beat in the first round, you're not there," Stevens stated. "So we need to be." One key factor in the Green Team's playoff demise was defense. Despite owning the fourth-best defensive rating during the regular season, the Celtics finished with the eighth-best defensive rating in the playoffs out of 16 teams. Clearly, a drop-off occurred, and the second-round matchup between the Sixers and Knicks confirmed it. In the first round, the Sixers' trio of stars, including , , and , largely dominated the Celtics. Maxey averaged almost 27 points per game, shot about 42 percent from deep, and barely gave up more than 1 turnover per outing. Maxey's numbers took a turn for the worse in the very next series. The star point guard averaged 18.3 points and 3.5 turnovers per game and shot an abysmal 16 percent from 3-point land. Fellow 76ers star Paul George experienced a similar trajectory, averaging 17.4 points on 48.9 percent shooting versus the Celtics and 14.5 points on 40.7 percent shooting versus the Knicks. George shot a blistering 55 percent from beyond the arc to help the Sixers convert on 35.2 percent of their 3-point attempts. The very next round his 3-point rate dipped to 41.9 percent and the Sixers shot an underwhelming 31.3 percent from that all-important area. Based on these numbers, the Celtics guarded the perimeter poorly and didn't receive the individual defense they needed from guys like and . Stevens embraced these shortcomings, but never singled a player out. "If we do a better job defending the three at the end of the third quarter in Game 5, we're probably talking about what our plans are for Game 2 tonight (against the Knicks)," Stevens said. During that third quarter Stevens referenced, the Celtics gave up 7 triples to the Sixers and 35 points in total. It prevented the C's from closing out the series and opened the door for a 3-1 series comeback. Celtics rookie didn't play for a moment of that game until it was already lost. In fact, the feisty defender didn't have any meaningful minutes until Game 7, in which he valiantly guarded Maxey and Embiid. Unfortunately, it was too late for the Celtics at that point. And to make matters even worse, Celtics defensive specialist logged less than 90 minutes over the course of the seven-game series. If Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla provided either player with more run, perhaps the series outcome would've been different. However, Gonzalez and Walsh's offensive games aren't quite playoff-ready, making it difficult to sub them in for extended periods of time. Plus, while they had the size and length to temporarily slow down Embiid — arguably Philly's biggest offensive threat — they couldn't totally neutralize him. There are few players in the NBA who can. "What changed in this series was Joel Embiid came back," Mazzulla said following Game 7. Embiid averaged 28 points on 44.3 percent shooting from the floor in four games against the Celtics. He was more efficient against the Knicks (50 percent from the field) but averaged just 18.7 points in three games. His health is where things become tricky. Due to an an appendectomy he underwent in early April, Embiid was gassed to start against Boston before finding a rhythm later in the series. He barely had any rest ahead of the second round, which could help explain his scoring decline and his absence in Game 2. On the other hand, one could argue that the Knicks depth at the five spot and their constant targeting of Embiid on the offensive end tired the 2023 NBA MVP out. This all points to a larger question: did the Celtics collapse where the Knicks succeeded, or did Boston suffer some bad breaks? Shooting luck can be real, and the Sixers may have benefitted from it at times. For example, veteran center — who is far from a shooter — cashed 4 of his 6 triples against the Celtics. Some of these shots were consequential, yet the Sixers big man tried only 2 triples against the Knicks, both of which culminated in misses (and one horrendous airball). Could the Celtics have prepped for Embiid better, used their personnel more wisely against Maxey and George, and worked harder to lock down the 3-point line in the playoffs? Of course. Did they witness some streaky shooting from the Sixers and get burned by bad luck? Partially, yes. But regardless of how one deals out the blame, it's impossible to deny the harsh truth that the Celtics didn't play like the better team for most of the first round. That means there'll be consequences this summer, whether that takes shape through trades, moves in free agency, or rethinking team tactics. Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on: Blue Wire: iTunes: YouTube: *This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: *