The Boston Celtics saw their season end on Saturday after dropping Game 7 of their first-round series to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 76ers flipped the script after Joel Embiid returned to the rotation in Game 4. Weeks after his early-April appendectomy, he anchored Philadelphia’s charge as they won three straight to overturn the 3-1 deficit.
Bill Simmons Blasts Joe Mazzulla for Abandoning the Celtics’ Success Formula
Jayson Tatum sat out the decisive 109-100 loss with left knee stiffness, leaving Jaylen Brown and Derrick White to carry the scoring load. Brown finished with 33 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. White added 26 points as the rest of the Celtics starters scored a combined 0 points.
Celebrating his daughter’s 21st birthday over the weekend, media analyst Bill Simmons broke his silence on his podcast late Sunday and directed his frustration at Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla.
Pointing to a radical shift in offensive approach as the main reason Boston failed to close out the series, Simmons said, “I thought Joe Mazzulla was incredible in the regular season. I voted for him for the coach of the year… And I don’t know what they were thinking with this playoffs. I have so many questions.”
“I really think Mazzulla screwed the series up and I’m always going to think that.”@BillSimmons reacts to Boston’s first-round series collapse against the 76ers. pic.twitter.com/yDr5qLvSbm
— The Ringer (@ringer) May 4, 2026
The Celtics dominated the regular season, playing fast and utilizing a deep rotation, an approach Mazzulla seemingly abandoned against the Sixers.
Simmons argued that Mazzulla tried to replicate the isolation-heavy style that won Boston the 2024 championship.
“Did Philly win this series or did Boston blow it? I think the answer is both,” Simmons said. “They went back to their 2024 style without the same players is my biggest issue. They slowed it down, they didn’t play with pace.”
This relatively sluggish approach played directly into the 76ers’ hands; Boston struggled to find a consistent rhythm against a set defense.
“They gave up on their bench….This is my honest feeling. I think Mazzulla treated this series like ‘Let’s figure out what we have for when we play the Knicks and the Pistons… I’m gonna use this as my litmus test series…'”
Pointing to the absence of rotation pieces who thrived during the regular season, Simmons further added, “The bench was the superpower of this team. It was guys like Hugo [Gonzalez] and [Jordan] Walsh coming in and being maniacs for five or six minutes, and he just punted on it… I really think Mazzulla screwed the series up, and I’m always gonna think that.”
The controversial lineup shuffling in Game 7 meant Philadelphia operated with far less pressure.
The Celtics clearly possess the talent to thrive during the regular season schedule. Mazzulla’s questionable approach, coupled with the team’s inability to execute under pressure, cost Boston a legitimate shot at another banner.
Collapsing against a barely healthy Embiid raises serious concerns about the current roster’s ability, and it’s obvious the Celtics’ front office will be pushed to make some drastic, difficult decisions this summer.
