We’re bored with penning this column. You are sick of studying it.

The Boston Celtics merely can not get out of their very own method. No workforce within the league is as elite as making their lives tougher than they should be. Essentially the most constant trait of this workforce is their skill to deliver inconsistent focus.

Exhibit 437 got here Monday evening as Boston gave away Recreation 1 of an Japanese Convention semifinal collection to a Joel Embiid-less Sixers workforce. Sure, James Harden was otherworldly and turned in a classic scoring efficiency. However the Celtics did little to make anybody on the Sixers really feel uncomfortable and compounded issues with a classic efficiency of their very own whereas turning the ball over 16 occasions.

Celtics Speak POSTGAME POD: Harden’s 45-point evening stuns Celtics as Embiid-less Sixers take Recreation 1 | Pay attention & Subscribe

If you happen to’re doling out blame pie, deliver a bunch of plates. There’s sufficient for everybody. We’re even prepared accountable the constructing as a result of, between the Celtics and Bruins, TD Backyard hasn’t seen a 24-hour stretch that miserable in its three a long time of existence.

Within the ramp as much as Monday’s Recreation 1, the Celtics insisted they’d be prepared for the Sixers no matter Embiid’s standing. As anticipated, Embiid received downgraded from uncertain to out. And, as anticipated, the Celtics weren’t prepared for the Embiid-less Sixers.

Boston’s lack of defensive depth spoiled a historic first-quarter offensive efficiency. The Celtics shot a staggering 71.8 p.c within the first half total but solely had a one-possession lead. You continue to felt inspired as a result of, of the 2 groups, Boston was extra more likely to dig in defensively. As an alternative, Boston determined to each proceed coasting on that finish and compounded issues by giving the Sixers simple baskets off repeated stay ball turnovers.

Nothing spotlighted Boston’s lack of focus fairly like one in all two giveaways with underneath a minute to play. Malcolm Brogdon, after receiving the ball late within the shot clock, improbably elected to drive and after encountering heavy visitors carelessly zipped the ball to Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey, who was alone on the high of key with no Boston participant inside eight toes of him.

Even worse, as Maxey broke out alone, the Celtics merely threw their arms up in protest because the shot clock sounded. Maxey completed an uncontested layup to place the Sixers up 114-113 with 28.9 seconds to go.

Boston received the lead again just for Harden to make a pull-up 3 over a cautious Al Horford with 8.4 seconds to go. Fittingly, Boston fumbled away its final gasp to tie the sport.

Will Recreation 1 price Boston the collection? Which may finally depend upon Embiid’s well being and what he’s capable of give the Sixers each time he’s capable of return. However the Celtics had been a reasonably clean path again to the Finals final week and now they’ve fumbled away home-court benefit on this collection. As standard, these Celtics have elected to take a far bumpier path.

If you wish to be offended on the coach, we’re not going to cease you. Joe Mazzulla admitted after Monday’s sport that he didn’t put his workforce in place to win. However we’ll proceed to level out that Boston’s lapses in focus are nothing new. The Celtics’ variable depth has been a theme for 3 straight coaches now. Sure, Ime Udoka publicly known as his gamers on their B.S. they usually responded in each occasion, not less than till operating out of fuel within the Finals final yr.

After every of their postseason letdowns this season, the Celtics have tightened up, and Mazzulla has steered this automotive again on paved floor. It’s nonetheless infuriating after they determine to take an pointless detour.

The turnovers are essentially the most maddening half. The Celtics labored exhausting to shore up that bother spot from final season and completed seventh within the NBA in turnover proportion (13.3 p.c) this season. Mazzulla has routinely careworn the margins with turnover proportion — and the 4 Elements normally — being a favourite matter.

Boston’s 10 live-ball turnovers Monday evening had been tied for its second many of the postseason. Its 4 balls misplaced out of bounds had been a season excessive. There have been seven bad-pass turnovers total. Boston’s 17.8 turnover proportion total ranked within the 14th percentile for all playoff video games this season, per Cleansing the Glass knowledge. The Sixers, by comparability, turned the ball over on solely 9 p.c of their possessions (ninety fifth percentile).

All of it comes again to focus.

The Celtics didn’t have sufficient of it. The Backyard distributed T-shirts with a current Mazzulla quote that reads, “There’s no such thing as too intense,” on the entrance. Properly, there’s such factor as too little depth. The Celtics but once more didn’t deliver the mandatory vitality.

So over the subsequent 48 hours you’ll learn an entire bunch about how the Celtics should be prepared for Recreation 2. Brogdon mentioned they need to ship a message in that sport. Actions communicate far louder than phrases with this workforce.

Perhaps one other bump within the street received’t matter. Perhaps Harden doesn’t have one other large evening. Perhaps Embiid is rarely capable of actually affect this collection.

However the Celtics have carried out themselves no favors this postseason. They hold flirting with hazard. It hasn’t burnt them but. However final yr it caught as much as them within the worst doable second.

And this workforce hasn’t realized from it but.