For the second time in their Eastern Conference semifinal against the 76ers, the Celtics fumbled a golden opportunity to seize control of the series and dropped a 116-115 loss in Game 4 on Sunday.
Here are the takeaways as the Sixers evened the series at 2-2.
1. The Celtics have struggled at times in late-game situations, but Sunday was an exception for the entire fourth quarter and for nearly all of the overtime period.
Then, on the final two possessions, things fell apart.
First came a defensive breakdown. Leading by two, Jaylen Brown made a ghastly decision to help off James Harden against Joel Embiid, who was being guarded by Jayson Tatum.