1. With 6:29 to play in the third quarter Tristan Thompson hit the second of a pair of free throws. That put Boston on top 79-55. That 24-point lead, with roughly a quarter-and-a-half to play, gave the Celtics a 99.1% win-probability. Boston didn’t win.
Here’s the anatomy of the collapse.
2. Before we look at plays to break down what happened, here are the numbers. From the time they took the 24-point lead to the end of regulation, Boston shot 10-for-31 from the field and committed five turnovers. New Orleans shot 19-of-36 and committed just one turnover.