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The Boston Celtics fell 113-97 to the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 5 at TD Garden on Tuesday night, with Joel Embiid’s 33-point performance pushing Philadelphia within one win of tying the series. Jayson Tatum finished with 24 points and 16 rebounds in a game defined by a late offensive breakdown.
Tatum pointed to the final stretch as the turning point, saying, “First of all, give them credit. They played well. A few looks that we got that we felt good about that we just didn’t make.” He added, “Sometimes that happens, but it’s just tough. When you’re not scoring at the rate you want to, it puts a lot of pressure on your defense and they made some plays on that end.” The Celtics forward emphasized how missed shots shifted momentum and structure late in the game.
On the inability to stop Philadelphia’s rhythm, Tatum said, “Getting a stop first of all. That will help, not playing against a set defense, getting out in transition, finding advantages.” He continued, “It was a stretch where we weren’t making shots and they were coming down and hitting shots and getting fouled, and we just kept having to play against a set defense. So getting stops would have helped for sure.” The Sixers’ ability to convert in transition repeatedly forced Boston into half-court possessions.
Tatum also addressed the emotional response as the game slipped away, saying, “Obviously it’s good when threes are falling, every day feels good, but when shots aren’t falling, just lean on each other. That’s what you got teammates for.” He added, “Each guy has to be out there to pick each other up and just move on to the next play.” When asked why that didn’t consistently happen, he responded, “There’s a human element part of it. We’re not perfect.”
Boston briefly led by 13 in the second half before losing control, and Tatum acknowledged the shift. “Yeah, I agree with that. That was a critical point of the game and some plays that we just wish we could have back in that third quarter when we had the lead,” he said.
Philadelphia’s interior pressure, led by Embiid, also impacted Boston’s tempo. Tatum noted, “Yeah, give him credit. He played well. He put a lot of pressure on us, especially on the defensive end. We’ll go back and watch.”
