The Celtics piled on misery in Boston as James Harden and the 76ers pulled off a Game 1 upset with a late help for the home team.
Fans in Boston were still in mourning as the Bruins trailed the Panthers 3-1 series when the Celtics proved the correct addition: When it rains, it pours.
Boston was a heavy favorite over the Joel Embiid-less 76ers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. And they had a four-point lead in the last two minutes of play.
If you’re a Philadelphia fan, you’ll say that James Harden, who appeared to be dressed up for the Met Gala, was just too much. If you’re a Celtics fan, you’ll say they blew it.
NBA Twitter takes aim at the Celtics for blowing it off against the 76ers
As much as Twitter wanted to troll the Celtics, social media also gave Harden his due.
Boston made two runs in the final three minutes, scoring just four points on 1-of-7 shooting from the field.
The worst of these turnovers was courtesy of Malcolm Brogdon, who delivered a straight pass to Therese Maxe to head back uncontested on the other end. That was with 30 seconds left and gave Philadelphia a 114-113 lead.
After Harden hit a leadoff triple with 8.1 seconds remaining, Marcus Smart committed the second turnover at the baseline, giving the ball wide and essentially stopping the Celtics’ hopes.
This was the best possible result for the 76ers, who were not expected to steal a game in Boston with Embiid sitting out due to a sprained knee. His status in Game 2 is still up in the air, but Harden, Maxey, and co have already proven they can hold the fort until his return.
As for the Celtics, this was a setback but it’s still early in the series. If they need motivation, they’ve got it now.
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