Los Angeles Lakers fans watched Saturday night as their oldest and most bitter rivals, the Boston Celtics, were sent home in the first round of the playoffs. The second-seeded Celtics made their earliest exit since the 2020-21 season, falling 109-100 in Game 7 at TD Garden to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Without Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown led Boston with 33 points and nine rebounds, while Derrick White chipped in 26, including five three-pointers, but it wasn’t enough.
Boston’s three-point shooting was perhaps their biggest undoing. The Celtics shot 13-of-49 from three in Game 7, continuing a pattern that had plagued them through the final stretch of the series. Down by a slim margin with the game on the line, the Celtics kept pulling up from range instead of attacking the paint and they kept missing.
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Boston’s poor decision-making down the stretch caught the attention of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper. The former Los Angeles Lakers guard took to X, seeking clarity on the Celtics’ playstyle.
“I love basketball can someone explain to me the last 5 mins of @celtics and @76ers game? Boston down by 1 & 3 and keep shooting 3s…. Please help me.”
A two-time champion with the Lakers, Harper also had to endure watching his son, Ron Harper Jr., log just four minutes in Game 7. The fourth-year guard struggled to make a mark off the bench, missing his only shot attempt of the night, a three-point shot. Overall, he averaged 1.8 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.5 steals in his first-ever playoff appearance.
While Boston exited the playoffs prematurely, Harper’s former team booked a spot in the second round. The Lakers will face the Oklahoma City Thunder, with Game 1 tipping off Tuesday at Paycom Center.
