Two-and-a-half days later and the failures of Game 4 are still festering. A long drive from Philadelphia didn’t clear my head. Sleeping in my own bed didn’t shake it. Looking ahead to Game 5 can’t clear the cobwebs.
Because these guys are better than that.
I don’t care about what the Sixers did or what the Celtics have been through right now. In that moment, basketball players and a coach who are playing at that level, who believe they are elite at what they do, have to stop making these kinds of mistakes.
They are not infallible. That's not the purpose of this. Things go wrong in games and guys mess up, from Kevin Durant and LeBron James to Nic Claxton and Luke Kennard.
But if the Celtics want us to believe they are the guys they believe they are, then the lapses of Game 4, and the games of the past, have to be left behind once and for all.
Jaylen Brown believes he’s one of the best players in the league. Brown thinks he’s an elite two-way player who should make an All-NBA team. At his best, I believe that too.
But helping off a future Hall of Famer in James Harden, who had 39 points in the game, who was hot from 3, on the strong side, to double team someone down two when a 3-pointer could beat you goes beyond brain fart. That's a lack of discipline.
Brown, to his credit, copped to the bad read after the game and took responsibility. That's admirable. But it’s not Brown’s first defensive lapse and lack of discipline in late-game situations.
This is a man who takes great steps off the court to test his discipline. He lives his life in a way to challenge himself and his boundaries. He’s a thoughtful person who knows the difference between a mistake, and giving up on someone’s principles.
Brown’s lack of discipline, ignoring the game score, situation, and emphasis during the timeout not to leave a 3-point shooter, cost Boston a playoff game. Brown will make mistakes in the future, and that's fine. Being an undisciplined player is not.
And that applies to two of his teammates.
Marcus Smart has spent years begging to be the team’s point guard, and I happen to think he’s a pretty good one. But on the last play of the game, he gave up those duties at a critical time.
I understand that in late-game situations, the Celtics lean heavily on Jayson Tatum. However, the point guard has to be fully aware of time, score, and situation at all times. A point guard’s cardinal sin is not understanding what the team needs in a critical possession, and Smart did that.
From casually jogging the ball up the floor, to ignoring a potential two-on-one advantage as soon as he stepped into the half court, Smart played the final possession like it was tied, and as if the directive was to get it to Tatum at all costs.
What he missed was a chance to take advantage of why a timeout wasn’t called in the first place.
Harden was kept on the floor for a reason. A drive past him on the right side was right there for Smart. Once he got past Harden, he could have kicked it to Al Horford in the corner, or he could have seen if Derrick White would keep Tyrese Maxey screened so Smart could finish on the left side of the rim, thus avoiding Joel Embiid and maybe even drawing a foul.
That's just for starters. He could have kept dribbling out to the corner and Brown could have cut to the basket. Or Tatum could have flared out for the pass and he could have attacked the ensuing chaos without a double team. There are countless options to a quick attack. A point guard should know that.
And Smart knows that. He is better than this. He’s better than that last play showed by a mile but he played undisciplined basketball as well. Mistakes are one thing, but losing discipline, in this case, is another.
Then there's Tatum, for whom the final play was called. All the other stuff aside, he has to be better as a superstar scorer. This is the role he wants. He wants the MVP trophies and the accolades. He wants the spotlight.
Then earn it.
When he drove left, he ignored one of the primary principles when attacking. When he got the switch, but his own guy still followed, then that meant the person who just set the pick was wide open. That's White, who was open at the 3.1-second mark with no defenders paying attention to him. It was a chance to get a good shooter a wide-open look with plenty of time to let it fly and maybe even get a tip in.
Nope. He missed that.
Then Tatum continued his drive, this time with Maxey getting into his body and off to his right. At that point, Tatum should have planted his left leg and gone straight up with a shot. Maxey was in no position to challenge. He was only in a position to foul. That easily could have been two free throws to take the lead.
Nope. Missed that too.
The only thing Tatum could do is, when he had no other options, hope his prayer found Smart.
Are you a superstar? Are you an elite scorer? Are you someone who makes your teammates better?
Not only did Tatum wait forever to start the play, he missed two key chances to score in those five seconds. He didn’t hit an open man with a pass and time to shoot. He didn’t manipulate the defense into fouling him. He drained the clock and panicked.
He is better than that. This is another lack of discipline. Tatum is a better player than that play showed, but when push came to shove, all the good stuff went out the window.
And finally there's Joe Mazzulla, who admitted the obvious.
“At the end of overtime, hindsight’s 20/20; I should have called it to help us get a 2-for-1 or get a couple more possessions,” he said. “Obviously with 14 seconds left, down one, you want to get as many chances as you can. So definitely learned from that.”
As much as I appreciate the learning opportunity, this is basic stuff for an NBA-level coach, and he knows that. Down by one, he knows that if the team isn’t getting the quick shot, then he needs to intervene.
I think skipping the timeout was fine at the beginning. Like I said about Smart, this was a chance to exploit a matchup and an exhausted Sixers team. But when the clock dropped to 12, 11, or 10 and it was clear the Celtics weren’t treating this game as if they were down, he had to intervene.
Mazzulla has to be disciplined in that moment as well. His job as the head coach is to keep the clear head. He needs to be present without being engrossed. He needs to be the eyes and ears that the rest of the team can’t have on the court because they're busy trying to navigate super-athletic behemoths at warp speed.
The coach has to rise above it all and be more aware of everything than anybody. He knows this. Calling a timeout in that situation applies to D2 ball as well. Missing out on that has nothing to do with being in the NBA. It has to do with losing discipline in that moment.
And this is where the frustration lies. Because all of these guys are better than these plays. These are all things guys in this position should recognize in the moment because they're absolutely good enough to do that. This isn’t asking the world of anyone. I’m not asking Smart to dunk on Embiid. I’m not asking Brown to pick anyone up full court, strip him, and win the game with a layup.
They swear they're learning lessons but they keep displaying this lack of discipline that prevents anything from sinking in. They talk a lot of good game, and every once in a while, they back it up.
But all too often, they leave it on the floor. I wouldn’t have cared if Brown stayed home on Harden, but Harden made a great move to get open, catch a pass, and make a tough, contested shot. I wouldn’t have cared if Smart pushed the ball, got it to Horford or someone else, and they missed and had to foul and the Sixers put it away. I wouldn’t have cared if White missed on a pass from Tatum.
That's all part of basketball. Win some, lose some, move on. Stuff happens.
But at least stick to the principles I know are there. At least show the discipline that I know is in there somewhere. Just play the right way and let the chips fall where they may.
Because all these guys are good enough to stack these chips in front of them. They're all good enough to cash those in for the biggest chip in June.
But enough is enough. Either learn the lessons and apply them, or stop talking about it. There's no more time for talk.
It’s time to win.