PHILADELPHIA — Jaylen Brown gripped the basketball and tapped it in opposition to his brow in frustration.
Hugo Gonzalez, who usually springs off the Celtics bench in the beginning of each timeout, tried to high-five Brown along with his regular, 20-year-old jubilance.
However, as Gonzalez’s hand slapped Brown’s, the Celtics star appeared shocked, seemingly nonetheless processing a efficiency that was far beneath the excessive commonplace he set in his All-NBA-caliber season.
In Brown’s 28 minutes on the ground in Sport 6, the Celtics had been outscored by 24 factors. He made simply 7 of 17 subject aim makes an attempt and turned the ball over 5 occasions (two of which got here off of offensive fouls).
The consequence was a 106-93 Celtics loss.
Brown, alongside the remainder of the Celtics starters, checked out of the sport with 10 minutes left within the fourth quarter.
He then watched a Celtics bench unit — headlined by Payton Pritchard, Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, Ron Harper Jr., and Luka Garza — play at a tempo, and with a fervor the Celtics couldn’t muster all through the primary three quarters.
“They only performed tougher,” Brown mentioned afterwards. “That group got here out — they had been capable of lower into the league as a result of they performed tougher. The group earlier than that, we didn’t play laborious sufficient.”
The bench mob shed 9 factors off the deficit, however it wasn’t sufficient.
The Celtics’ season will rely on a win-or-go-home Sport 7 at TD Backyard.
How the Celtics reacted to a Sport 6 defeat
After I entered the Celtics’ locker room on Thursday evening, I used to be anticipating to see a grieving locker room, one cognizant that they’d squandered a 3-1 lead, one which knew that the tides had fully turned.
However, whereas the visiting locker room was not a jovial place, it additionally wasn’t defeated.
Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, and Payton Pritchard stood within the nook in towels, discussing what went fallacious and the way they might repair it within the subsequent 48 hours.
That dialog went on to incorporate Baylor Scheierman.
“Sport 7,” Brown mentioned to the trio. “We want each rebound.”
Then, about 20 minutes later, on the podium, Brown was calm.
A number of occasions, he acknowledged he hadn’t performed effectively sufficient. That he’d have to regulate forward of Sport 7.
“There’s positively some stuff I see that I can enhance,” Brown mentioned.
And, he was way more optimistic than I anticipated him to be after such a squandered alternative.
“All issues thought of, we’re in an awesome spot going residence for a Sport 7,” Brown mentioned. “I’m anticipating an awesome environment, and anticipating an awesome combat from our group. The final two video games wasn’t the most effective, however you progress on. So I’m trying ahead to it — and I’m excited for Sport 7.”
Within the locker room, Pritchard echoed that sentiment. I requested him if there was a technique to combat the truth that they had been up 3-1 and misplaced two straight, that Philadelphia had all of the momentum.
“It means nothing,” Pritchard mentioned. “It’s one recreation. It’s just like the NCAA Match — gotta win one or go residence. So, it’s the one factor on our thoughts.”
The Celtics are going to want to combat the present, the pure move of momentum Philadelphia is carrying, combat the truth that they had been only a good third quarter away from securing the sequence in 5 video games.
“No matter occurred has occurred, and nothing you are able to do about it,” Mazzulla mentioned. “On the finish of the day, we bought one other recreation. And, we bought to be able to play. And we bought a possibility to win.”
It could assist that they’ve been there earlier than; Jaylen Brown is 6-2 in Sport 7s all through his profession, and Jayson Tatum is 5-2.
“Quite a lot of us have been on this scenario earlier than, Sport 7,” Tatum mentioned. “So, it needs to be a enjoyable one.”
Celtics-76ers suggestions off at 7:30pm ET at TD Backyard. It’ll function one remaining probability to proper the ship.
“We bought to reply,” Brown mentioned. “[It] may take a deep breath, take a look at what we bought, watch the movie, take accountability, and are available out and play with an awesome combat.”
