One of the ‘strangest plays’ Doc Rivers ever saw had huge consequences for the Celtics
Malcolm Brogdon threw the ball directly to Philadelphia's Tyrese Maxey who scored the go-ahead layup.
Even Doc Rivers, who was selected in the NBA Draft 40 years ago and has been around the game even longer than that, had to marvel at what transpired at TD Garden with 33.5 seconds remaining in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
With the Celtics clinging to a 113-112 lead, Malcolm Brogdon dribbled toward the basket and fired an off-balance pass without looking at his target.
He threw the ball right to 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey, who raced to the other end and a go-ahead dunk with no Celtics defenders in sight. Philadelphia eventually won 119-115 on Monday night.
“When Tyrese caught the ball, I was like ‘Wait a minute,'” Rivers said. “And then I looked and there was no one going. It was one of the strangest plays I’ve ever seen. And it was maybe a half-a-second difference. Like, if the ball hadn’t been in the air then it’s a 24-second violation. It’s funny, that’s one of the things coaches fought for. If it’s a sure catch, we would like them to play on.”
Maxey played on and scored the clutch bucket even though he thought a noise, either an official’s whistle or a buzzer signaling that the play was over.
“I closed out on [Jayson] Tatum and got him off the three,” Maxey said. “Once I got him off the three I was looking on that end and there was no time for them to shoot when he passed to Brogdon. When he threw it to me, I caught it and I’m running. I don’t know if I heard the whistle or the horn. I was about to pick the ball up. I’m so glad I kept going. It was the right place and the right time.”
The play set the stage for James Harden, who tied a playoff career-high with 45 points, to close out the game with a dramatic stepback 3-pointer over former Boston’s Al Horford.
“I think PJ [Tucker] set the screen,” Harden said. “And I came off the screen and I was wondering if they were going to put two on the ball. … when I pulled the ball back out, it was like ‘stay home’, it’s a 1 on 1. This is what I work on every day. Just get the best available shot, no matter what it is.”
Brogdon, who was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year last month, is usually known for his smart decisions and level-headed play.
He said the Celtics’ loss had a fair amount to do with not getting enough stops. Horford said the Celtics weren’t as intense as they could have been, knowing Philadelphia didn’t have Joel Embiid, who was out with an injury.
But, Brogdon’s mistake was a crucial one and a headscratcher.
“[It was] a mistake. Turnover. It happens,” Brogdon said after the game.
With the loss, the Celtics have to win Wednesday night to avoid a 2-0 series deficit before heading on the road to Philadelphia. A home loss in Game 1 would have been a bad one even if Embiid had suited up.
But, losing without facing Philadelphia’s best player and MVP candidate makes it even worse.
“We didn’t come into the game expecting to lose,” Harden said. “We are here to win. Even after the game, I told these guys ‘Don’t get too happy.’ We’re even-keeled. We’re coming to get Game 2 as well. That’s the mindset we have as a unit, and whether Joel comes back or not, we’ll be ready to go. Obviously, he’s huge, he’s everything for this team, but whoever is on the floor is going to win the game and that’s what we did tonight.”
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