NBA playoffs: Celtics forget t...

The Boston Celtics may have had the simplest path to the NBA Finals going into the Eastern Conference Semifinals, but for some reason they appear determined to take the most difficult one.

They had all the urgency of a sloth starting Game 4 with a 2-1 lead. The Philadelphia 76ers team was pushing just as hard to win the series as the Boston Celtics did, but Boston stalled its final possession so much that Marcus Smart's potential game-winning 3-pointer didn't beat the game clock by even a small amount of time, resulting in a 116-115 loss.

It's difficult to determine if the Celtics' subpar play over the first three quarters or their inattention on each team's last possession was a larger failure. In either case, they missed a chance to really strain the Sixers. The current series score is 2-2. The fifth game will take place in Boston on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT).

Boston's Jaylen Brown, who scored 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting, said, "We had the game in our grip.

James Harden of Philadelphia, who overcame two terrible performances to score 42 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer with 19 seconds remaining in overtime, deserves praise. Previously, his 45 points helped the Sixers win Game 1 against the Celtics, who were underprepared without MVP Joel Embiid.

It provided another proof of Boston's unwillingness to grab the opportunity to overwhelm a rival. Just five minutes earlier, the Celtics had been there when Mazzulla failed to use a timeout during the final possession of a tied game in regulation. Tatum drew a second defender and passed to Smart at the arc in a similar play, but this time Boston's poorest shooting option on the floor front-rimmed the winning shot.

Harden remarked, "We know what we're supposed to be doing. This is Game 4. They've seen our plays. We are familiar with their plays. Whoever wants to win more will ultimately prevail, and tonight we did a fantastic job of that.

It is quite obvious that the Celtics have the postseason team with the most skilled rotation. A tenacious eight-man group of talented two-way players, they are the NBA's most fearsome force on both sides of the floor when they are at their best. Only one of the Celtics' flaws—that they play themselves—is the least annoying.

The Celtics' last season might have had an easier route if they hadn't squandered leads in Game 5 of the conference semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks, Game 6 of the East finals against the Miami Heat, and Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. their extended absences from Games 1 and 4 of this series.

In the conference finals, either the Heat or the New York Knicks would face off, and most experts predicted that both clubs would fall in the first round. The Celtics have a chance to play for the title — the "unfinished business" that is the theme of their postseason campaign — but they must first flex on Philadelphia.

Boston had a strong opportunity to win both games despite Harden having two all-world performances, but both games were lost because to poor execution (and planning) on both ends as the pressure built. If you play around more, Harden will inevitably steal the meal from the Celtics. If Harden is feasting more than they are during the crunch, they are actually starving.

The Celtics were so close to taking a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals last season that they might have tasted victory. They knew going into these playoffs that they couldn't play while eating, yet they are still not hungry.