5 Takeaways: Celtics dreadful first half shooting too much to overcome in loss

It was a tale of two halves for the Boston Celtics offensively in Philadelphia on Tuesday night. 

In the first, the Celtics starters combined to shoot 5-for-25 from the floor to dig themselves a double-digit deficit. But in the third quarter Jaylen Brown and Derrick White combined for 27 points to get Boston back in the game. 

Ultimately the 76ers, the best fourth quarter team in the league, executed down the stretch to hand the Celtics their seventh loss. 

Here are five takeaways from Philly…

On Tuesday, the Celtics debuted their 2025-26 City Edition uniforms, called “The Golden Standard.” For the first time in franchise history, Boston took the court without a hint of green to be seen. 

The uniforms are white and gold as the Celtics stray away from the traditional green-based outfit. The golden threads are meant to pay tribute to the team’s championship-laden past. 

“Accented with gold to symbolize success and triumph, the uniform celebrates the enduring legacy of what it means to be a Celtic, according to the NBA. 

Red Auerbach’s signature is also stitched to the bottom of every jersey as a nod to the legendary coach. 

Tuesday’s first half was about as ugly as it’s going to get for the Celtics as they could only muster 41 points in 24 minutes — especially for the starting lineup. 

Boston’s main scoring options in Brown, White and Payton Pritchard shot a combined 2-for-20 in the first half. The bench unit kept the team afloat with Anfernee Simons and Luka Garza each scoring seven to at least put points on the board. 

As a team the Cs shot 28% from the field, and while many will claim it comes down to just making open shots, at a certain point you have to wonder if there is a better way. And from the way the team opened the third, it does appear there is. 

The first four buckets Boston made in the third quarter? 

Inside makes. 

The Celtics came out of the break with a different energy for multiple reasons, and a lot of it has to do with the energy Jordan Walsh provided off the bench. Walsh added in five points while also making a big difference on the defensive end during an 11-0 Boston run. 

The third-year forward grabbed seven boards and two steals and two blocks to breathe some life into what appeared to be a dormant team. Walsh seemed to earn some trust from Joe Mazzulla as he played 17 minutes in the second half, including matching up with Tyrese Maxey on the defensive end down the stretch. 

With Walsh providing the spark, Brown and White lit the fire, combining for 27 in the third while also getting going from three. White connected on three triples to end the third quarter. 

It’s not completely surprising the Celtics were able to turn things around in the third frame as Philadelphia has been the worst offensive and defensive third quarter team in the league. It certainly showed why as Boston outscored Philly 36-20. 

With Joel Embiid out with yet another knee injury, the 76ers were looking for some more offensive production besides Maxey and they found it in Justin Edwards. 

The forward caught fire, scoring 22 points in 22 minutes and connecting on all eight of his first eight attempts. The only shot Edwards missed was a three at the end of the game which Kelly Oubre Jr. tipped in for the game-winning basket. 

Edwards came up big in the fourth quarter, drilling two straight threes to spark a 9-0 run and retake the lead for Philly. 

The former Kentucky Wildcat was averaging just four points-per-game before his offensive explosion on Tuesday night. 

Boston’s late game execution is starting to become a little bit of a concern to start the season as it continues to adjust to life without Jayson Tatum. It once again reared its ugly head against the Cs on Tuesday as Philly outscored them 18-9 in the final six minutes. 

After trailing 100-96, Boston was able to tie it thanks to a White three and Brown splitting his free throws, but a crucial offensive rebound given up by Brown ultimately cost it the game. On the other end the Celtics did have just over eight seconds to run a play, but White couldn’t handle the ball and was forced to heave a shot that never had a chance at the end. 

This season, Boston has barely hung on for a one-point win against the 76ers on Halloween while dropping a close game to Utah and once again to Philly on Opening Night. 

Late game execution will be something to monitor as this group of Celtics inevitably find themselves in more close games this season. 

Mazzulla could be changing his starting lineup on Wednesday against Memphis after Walsh’s recent performance. 

Walsh played 29 minutes on Tuesday while Josh Minott, who has started a majority of games only played eight minutes. Minott also did not play in a tight fourth quarter, with Mazzulla opting for the more effective Walsh down the stretch.