After the Boston Celtics dropped Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal with the Philadelphia 76ers, Jaylen Brown summed up the root cause succinctly.
“We turned it over too much, but, defensively, we just couldn’t get a stop,” Brown told the media postgame (via NBC Sports Boston). “(They) had a lot of guys who made some tough shots starting with (James) Harden, but we’ve got to be better on defense.”
One of the criticisms of Boston’s defense came from Celtics Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, who related the team doubled Harden too much.
“A lot of stuff didn’t work,” echoed Brown. “That’s the playoffs, that’s basketball. (We’ll) make adjustments, and get ready for the next one”
What went wrong for Boston? Who could have done a better job on the court or behind the clipboard? How worried should we be about Game 2? https://t.co/GqbUJyW9jo
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) May 2, 2023
Brown downplayed the notion that star Sixers big man Joel Embiid sitting played a role in the loss, however.
“We talked about it,” he said. “They just came out more prepared than we did, and they played their (expletive) off, and they had a great game.”
“We had a mediocre game,” added Brown for emphasis, “and we lost.”
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
