HEADLINES
Celtics fall short in crunch time after Smart ejection: Jimmy Butler hit a game-clinching jumper with four seconds remaining, capping off a 13-5 Sixers run over the final four minutes as the hosts rallied to a 118-115 win over a shorthanded Celtics squad. Joel Embiid (37 points, 22 rebounds) made a career-high 20 free throws, as the Sixers fought their way back from a 15-point first half deficit in large part thanks to a 43-16 edge at the free throw line. Gordon Hayward (concussion) was sidelined while Aron Baynes (sprained ankle) joined the walking wounded in the second quarter. Marcus Smart joined Baynes in the locker room after getting ejected following a shove to the back of Embiid at the start of the third quarter, which left the C’s without three rotation players for the second half. The Sixers took advantage of that weakness with potent offense down the stretch, capped off by Butler’s jumper to put the Sixers up five with four seconds left.
Things are getting heated in Philly. Joel Embiid gave Marcus Smart an elbow. Smart got up and shoved Embiid to the floor. Technical foul for Embiid. Flagrant 2 and an ejection for Smart.
?: @DimeUPROXX
pic.twitter.com/trDXeQLOnZ
— USA TODAY NBA (@usatodaynba) March 21, 2019
Kyrie scores 36 but comes up empty late: The Celtics' offense was rolling for most of the night thanks to Irving (36 points, nine rebounds), Al Horford (22 points) and Terry Rozier (20 points) but couldn’t get consistent buckets late in the game. Irving missed his final five shots of the game in the closing four minutes as the C’s couldn’t keep pace with the Sixers' firepower (six players in double figures on offense)
Sixers lock up No. 3 seed: Boston may have won the season series 3-1, but they won’t be catching Philadelphia in the standings after this one. The win pushed the Sixers four games ahead of Boston in the standings, all but guaranteeing that the Celtics will be the No. 4 or No. 5 seed in the East when the playoffs start next month.
TURNING POINT
Smart’s ejection was immediately followed by a 25-13 run by Philly, which allowed them to tie the game midway through the third quarter and shift the momentum of the game. Smart’s absence also allowed the Sixers to target Irving repeatedly during crunch time.
INJURY REPORT
Baynes suffered a grade 2 left ankle sprain in the first half and did not return. He is expected to miss at least the rest of the regular season based on a 3-6 week recovery timeline projection.
TWO UP
Al Horford: A steady presence on both ends all night. He played 35 minutes but Celtics could have used him for all 48 as he posted 22 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists while finishing with a plus-6 in a three-point loss. He continues to have his way with Embiid on the offensive end, although he fouled a bit more than usual tonight (officials were partly to blame for that).
Terry Rozier: Arguably, his best game of the year. He made his first five shots and knocked down four-of-eight from downtown to finish with a season-high 24 off the bench. With six rebounds and no turnovers, along with a couple tough finishes at the hoop, he looked like the 2018 playoff version of himself.
TWO DOWN
Marcus Morris: Another shooting dud (2-of-9, four points) and plenty of defensive mistakes down the stretch, including giving Ben Simmons a lane to the basket on a go-ahead bucket with under a minute left. The case continues to build against having him in crunch time lineups.
Marcus Smart: He may have been hit with a cheap shot, but he can’t throw the game away by retaliating against an elite opponent like this. The Celtics were shorthanded as is without Hayward and Baynes, and were exposed defensively down the stretch without him. He’s been far more level-headed this year as a whole but this was a selfish move.
TOP PLAY
This dude's unreal... pic.twitter.com/8oChTFBrtR
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 21, 2019
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
The Baynes injury is a huge blow: The Celtics have played their best basketball all year long with Baynes and Horford together out there (in limited sample sizes) and now they are in danger of missing out on having that combo in the first round with this grade two ankle sprain. We will hear more from Dr. Flynn on it this week but even if Baynes is healthy enough to get back in time for the first round, getting him to shake off the rust in those circumstances will be a tall task. At this point, a lot of pressure falls on Daniel Theis to step up his consistency and defense and the C’s may need to add another true big (Marcin Gortat?) for insurance purposes given how thin they look up front if another big body goes down.
Time to start getting healthy and prepped for Pacers: The Celtics still have 10 games left but with any hope of landing the No. 3 seed ending tonight, it’s time to start prepping for a pending matchup with Indy. That means to start working in rest for the veterans right away, while prioritizing wins in the head-to-head matchups (still two left against Pacers) in order to get homeport advantage. Stevens should now begin honing in on which lineups will see the best success against an Indiana team that plays hard but doesn’t have much offensive firepower that puts fear into an opponent. The defense has been a problem since the All-Star Break and that continued tonight. With Baynes out, it might be time to see more defensive-minded guys (Semi Ojeleye) while relying on the stars (Irving) for the heavy lifting on offense.