NBA playoffs: Sixers push Celt...

Boston Joe Mazzulla, the head coach of the Boston Celtics, declared before Game 5 of the tied Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Philadelphia 76ers, "It's not much different than the regular season," and his team performed as such.

Boston lacked the necessary vigor from the start, like it did in Sunday's Game 4 setback, and the margin grew to double digits before halftime. However, this time, the reigning conference champions were never as competitive or entertaining as their foe, losing 115-103 to be on the verge of being eliminated.

Mazzulla left out Game 1 and the most of Game 4 of this series as well as Game 5 of their first-round triumph over the Atlanta Hawks, saying, "That was the first game of the playoffs that we didn't play well, in my opinion."

The playoffs have seldom been so dull at TD Garden. The audience started to boo throughout the second quarter, and by the conclusion of the third, when the Celtics watched Tyrese Maxey score an easy basket, the jeers had intensified. With the exception of forcing a 24-second violation down 14 late in the third and cutting the deficit to 11 on Jayson Tatum's and-one early in the fourth, they rarely displayed the kind of inspiration that would draw in their supporters. Instead, they turned the ball over into a layup and let another wide-open 3-pointer go in the fourth.

Marcus Smart, a guard for the Celtics, remarked, "The energy wasn't right." It might have been much better. We are aware of that. We are aware of that. Tonight says a lot. It demonstrates that if you're not prepared, something may occur.

Tatum, who finished with 36 points, said, "We've heard boos before, so it's nothing new. We've been there before, but today we didn't play well. The spectators observed it. All of you saw it. We are aware of that.

There is plenty of room for blame since it was another listless loss for a club that has led the NBA in net rating for the last two seasons. The 34-year-old Mazzulla, who was catapulted into the leadership position when Ime Udoka was fired for having a reportedly inappropriate connection with a subordinate during training camp, and lead assistant Will Hardy left for the Utah Jazz, will undoubtedly be at the top of the list on local sports radio.

Although it is a major issue, Boston does not have the only one. Additionally, there are issues with the players. Under coaches Brad Stevens, Udoka, and Mazzulla, late-game mental collapses like in Game 4 of this series and lulls as in Game 5, when they played as if their talent advantage alone would guarantee a victory, were frequent occurrences. Although Udoka's force and Stevens' in-game changes reduced the margins of error, it is ultimately up to the players to draw lessons from their vast experience.

Tatum and Brown have played 84 postseason games together even though they are only starting their primes. If Brown's team loses to a team it previously owned, Stevens, who is now Boston's head of basketball operations, will have questions to answer beyond Brown's next contract if the Celtics are not yet willing to admit that the partnership has a sub-championship ceiling — and it is reasonable to think they can still advance.

Should Smart, who plays for a team with the likes of Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon in the backcourt, have the third-highest usage rate in such a crucial game? Next month marks Al Horford's 37th birthday, and Robert Williams III has not played with the same vigor since having knee surgery the previous year. What happened to Grant Williams?

"The past is the past," Brown remarked. We could discuss a number of events in this series that may have taken a different turn but didn't. We have a fantastic chance before us, and dwelling on the past would deprive us of it. Just be ready to play some basketball. There you go.

Boston's rising stars must, like Mazzulla, learn from their previous mistakes, and doing so in two days is not always simple. They are six seasons into their quest for the crown, which takes years. The Celtics must at least start to question if they will ever be able to rectify them in time for a win-or-go-home Game 6 in Philadelphia if they are unable to do so.