BOSTON — Here are my main takeaways and “best” and “worst” awards from the 76ers’ 114-112 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series Wednesday night at TD Garden.
Five observations
- This game and playoff series was a teaching moment for Ben Simmons. The rookie point guard finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, six assists and four turnovers in Wednesday’s loss. However, he also graded out at a game-worst minus-13. For the series, the Sixers were minus-63 with Simmons on the court. They were plus-48 when he didn’t play.