The Celtics were their own worst enemy in their loss to the 76ers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Despite the absence of MVP finalist Joel Embiid, Philadelphia was able to keep things close throughout the game. And in the game's closing moments, a head-scratching mistake from Boston proved to be costly.
With under one minute remaining in the game, the Celtics had the ball and a one-point lead. After taking its time getting into an offensive action, Boston got into a scramble as the shot clock wound down, with Jayson Tatum driving and kicking out to Malcolm Brogdon, who caught the ball with 1.5 seconds remaining on the clock.
Despite there only being enough time for a catch-and-shoot 3 or a quick pull-up, Brogdon took two dribbles and passed the ball directly to Philadelphia's Tyrese Maxey, who gave his team a one-point lead with an uncontested dunk with 28.9 seconds remaining.
MAXEY STOLE THE BALL. pic.twitter.com/ZRKclOWulW
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) May 2, 2023
The Celtics briefly regained the lead on the next possession, which then set up a 3-pointer from James Harden, which put the 76ers up for good. The questionable decision-making that led to Maxey's wide-open transition bucket was a momentum-swinging play at a crucial juncture.
MORE: NBA world reacts to James Harden's Game 1 heroics vs. Boston
After the game, both Tatum and Brogdon attempted to explain the thought process that led to the sequence.
"On the pass — mistake, turnover. It happens" Brogdon told reporters, later explaining that he thought the shot clock had gone off and that the play would have been blown dead.
Tatum had a similar explanation, saying "We all thought (it was) a shot-clock violation," when asked why Celtics players seemingly stopped in their tracks.
And while Maxey's interception did come as the shot clock expired, he had a significant head start ahead of Marcus Smart, who was the nearest Boston player on the floor at the time of the turnover.
Given Maxey's speed with the ball, it's impossible to predict whether or not a Celtic could have caught him had the team not stopped playing.
Conversely, had the play been blown dead, Philadelphia would have been forced to draw up a play in the half-court, and the outcome of the game could have been impacted.
As it stands, the mistake allowed the Sixers to briefly take the lead and set the table for Harden to deliver the victory. It now looms over the series as Philadelphia looks to do the unthinkable.
