After Game 5, the Celtics’ excuses are no longer good enough

In Game 1 against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics kept things close. They crumbled on defense, and James Harden nailed a game-winner to seal their fate.

In Game 4, the Celtics stumbled out of the gates before embarking on an impressive comeback to send the game to overtime. But on the final two plays of the extra period, they failed to execute, and Philadelphia earned the win.

In Game 5, the Celtics failed.

They failed to show any heart. They failed to play with energy. They failed to contain Joel Embiid. They failed to guard Harden in the pick-n-roll. They failed to show up in a home game that had major implications for the rest of their season.

Yet their response remained the same.

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