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The Boston Celtics are one loss away from being eliminated from the playoffs following their May 9 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Should the Celtics suffer a second-round exit, it will be anti-climax to a season where they have been labeled as a genuine championship contender with little to no threat in the Eastern Conference.
According to Adam Kaufman of CLNS Media, if the Celtics do have their season end early, we should expect an active off-season, with multiple changes being made to the current roster.
“If the Celtics do lose this series, this is gonna be a fascinating offseason,” Kaufmann Tweeted. “The kind that could result in monumental changes.”
While Kaufman didn’t elaborate on what those changes could be, the only move that would be considered monumental is trading one of either Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown, as those are the team’s two All-Star players that could bring back a significant return.
Of course, there is also the potential for multiple smaller moves, such as a deal for Marcus Smart or a sign-and-trade with impending restricted free-agent Grant Williams. Fortunately for the Celtics, their season is still alive, but they will need to win back-to-back games against the Sixers if they wish to progress back to the Eastern Conference finals.
Marcus Smart Expects a Dog Fight in Game Six
When speaking to the media following Boston’s May 9 loss, veteran point guard Marcus Smart revealed the type of game he’s expecting in the Celtics’ upcoming win-or-go-home contest against the Sixers on May 11.
“It’s a true dog fight,” Smart said. “Scratching, clawing, biting, blood, everything. And if you’re not willing to get dirty. If you’re not willing to bleed. If you’re not willing to break something. If you’re not willing to tear something. Going hard. Then, you shouldn’t be on that court because that’s what it is. That’s what the playoffs is about. And hopefully, you stay safe, but that’s the mentality you gotta go. You’ve gotta be able to risk it all for these games. And that’s the mentality we gotta have.”
Smart struggled when shooting the ball during Boston’s most recent loss, ending the contest with 14 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds while shooting 28.6% from the field and 40% from three-point range.
Eddie House Sounds Off on Boston’s Defense
During NBC Sports Boston’s post-game show, former Celtic Eddie House shared his displeasure at the Celtics’ game five performance.
“You don’t guard,” House said. “And when you guard, you foul. You send them to the free-throw line. They shoot 85% from the free-throw line. They shoot 40% from three. They shoot 50% from the field. I mean, that’s all we need to know. That lets you know there was zero resistance. There was zero effect on the defensive end toward the Philadelphia 76ers. They had their way.”
The Celtics will now have to channel their playoff performances from last season when they rallied back from a 3-2 deficit to the Milwaukee Bucks to ultimately win the series in seven games and progress to the Eastern Conference finals, although doing so against the reigning MVP in Joel Embiid is going to be a difficult task.
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