When the Boston Celtics went up 3-1 at the end of Game 4 against the Philadelphia 76ers, they appeared to have their first-round series firmly in control. That night, however, turned out to be the last time that the Celtics would emerge victorious as the Sixers went on to force and win a thrilling Game 7.
After Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers to a 109-100 victory inside TD Garden, Celtics fans went into an uproar on social media, blasting players and coaches alike.
“FIRE JOE MAZZULLA IMMEDIATELY”
“fire joe mazzulla trade j*ylen br*wn”
“Tatum killed the momentum of this team. As soon as they decided not to tank they should have let Jaylen brown ride the season out till the end.”
“Celtics had 3 starting players in they lineup with 0”
“And the excuse will be it was a gap year crap spun by the organization smh”
“Crazy choke by the Celtics”
Heading into the playoffs, the Celtics were widely considered a title contender, a serious threat to the OKC Thunder’s bid for back-to-back championships. With Jayson Tatum back in harness and Jaylen Brown having an MVP season, Boston appeared to have the makings of a squad bound for the Finals.
However, just a few hours before Game 7 against the Sixers, Tatum was ruled out due to left knee stiffness. In the second half of this die-or-die contest, the Celtics fell behind by as many as 18 points. Though Brown (33 points, nine rebounds, four assists) led a stirring comeback, Philadelphia refused to relinquish the lead and relied on a strong finishing kick by Maxey and Joel Embiid to seal the deal.
“I Don’t Understand for the Life of Me”: Stephen A. Smith Questions Celtics’ Endgame as They Falter in Final Minutes of Game 7
After the Sixers eliminated the Celtics, social media was abuzz with comments and criticism. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, as he usually does, minced no words as he slammed the Celtics’ performance in the final minutes of Game 7.
“Props to the @sixers. Big-time win. But I’d don’t understand for the life of me how the @celtics spent 6-straight possessions launching 3’s – including 3 from @FCHWPO – in the last 2 min of a 1-point game.”
On the other side, Maxey remained aggressive by scoring on a layup in traffic to help the Sixers maintain control of the game. Now, the Celtics will have a long offseason to ponder what could have been in this series.
