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In the dying moments of overtime in Game 4, the Boston Celtics had a one-point deficit to the Philadelphia 76ers but controlled the ball for the final play of the game.
Unfortunately, the Celtics took too long to get into their offensive action, leading to Marcus Smart‘s potential game-winning shot being released after the buzzer, costing Boston the game.
According to Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson, the Celtics’ slow entry into their offensive set is due to a mistake by head coach Joe Mazzulla, who should have called a timeout to draw up a designed play.
“I thought Celtic’s Head Coach Mazzulla made a mistake not calling a timeout and setting up a play in the final seconds of the game,” Johnson tweeted.
Due to Boston’s indecisiveness in the final moments of the game, the Sixers were able to record the win and tie the series up 2-2 heading into Game 5, thanks in large part to an exceptional performance from James Harden, who had 42 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block on 69.6% shooting from the field and 66.7% shooting from deep.
Joe Mazzulla Discusses Not Taking a Timeout
Following Boston’s May 7 loss, Joe Mazzulla discussed his decision not to call a timeout for the final play of the game, crediting the trust he has in his team as the primary reason.
“That was the play,” Mazzulla said. “We just had to play with a little more pace. We had the right matchup; Jayson got downhill, made the right play at the rim, we just had to play with a little more pace there, but that was the play.”
While Mazzulla may have been happy with the play calling down the stretch, the notion behind calling a timeout is to advance the ball, ensure everybody knows their assignments, and provide your team with an opportunity to flow straight into their offense after the inbounds pass.
Al Horford Encouraged by Boston’s Fight
During his own post-game press conference, veteran big man Al Horford revealed his encouragement at the Celtics’ willingness to fight and how they clawed their way back into the game in the fourth quarter on the back of a stellar defensive performance.
“I felt like our group did a great job in the fourth,” Horford said. “Locking in defensively, everybody taking the challenge, trying to be better. That was quite a comeback, and we were really close, so I’m pretty encouraged with our group and with the focus and intent we played with there. We knew we were gonna get their best shot today, and they put it out there. We were able to withstand it, and we just weren’t able to close the game. But, I’m pretty proud of our group, how we responded today.”
The Celtics and Sixers will now head back to Boston for game five on Tuesday, May 9, with the series tied at 2-2, meaning neither team has any advantage or momentum in the series so far and that the winner of Tuesday’s game will take full control of their own playoff destiny.
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