Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla pointed to execution breakdowns and missed opportunities after a 113-97 Game 5 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night at TD Garden.
“Just missed some shots,” Mazzulla said when asked about the final seven minutes, adding, “I thought we got some good looks. Weren’t able to capitalize on them.”
The Celtics went without a field goal over the last stretch, a swing that came after what Mazzulla described as a connected collapse on both ends of the floor.
“We had some back-to-back turnovers that led to threes. We had some empty possessions on the offensive rebound that led to some of their shots there,” he said. “I think the game is connected in that and it was a little bit of both.”
Momentum shifted late in the third quarter, when Philadelphia hit a series of perimeter shots. “They hit five threes at the end of the third there. It feels like things started to shift a little bit.”
Boston’s offense slowed further in the fourth quarter, with limited touches for primary options. “We weren’t getting stops and then taking the ball out of the basket,” Mazzulla said. “And then obviously when it’s a couple possession game you want to execute.”
On Jayson Tatum’s reduced fourth-quarter involvement, he stated, “We weren’t getting stops and then taking the ball out of the basket.”
Philadelphia’s defensive structure around Joel Embiid also impacted decision-making in the paint. “We’ll go back and watch it,” Mazzulla said. “You’re just looking for the best shot in every possession.”
The Celtics also struggled with rhythm against Philadelphia’s shooting run. “They got hot from three,” he said. “We left Grimes a couple times. Paul George hit one. Maxey hit another one. Oubre hit one.”
Mazzulla acknowledged foul issues affecting interior defense, and Neemias Queta’s foul trouble while adding that contact-heavy matchups influenced decisions around Embiid.
He also addressed Quentin Grimes’ impact off ball movement and spacing. “Embiid puts pressure on the rim, forces help, and then you have to be able to read rotations.”
Late-game frustration was evident, but Mazzulla dismissed body language as the core issue. “We missed layups too,” he said. “I don’t think it was necessarily from the threes. I think it was just having an understanding that we were in a good situation and then didn’t execute.”
Looking ahead to Game 6 in Philadelphia, Mazzulla emphasized response over reaction. “Same thing as you always do,” he said. “Look at those possessions and get better, get ready for the next one.”
He concluded by summarizing the performance without overstatement. “It wasn’t all bad. We played solid basketball. Now let’s focus on the stuff that we have to get better at.”
