The Boston Celtics are now 5-7, 11th in the Eastern Conference standings, after falling to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night. Their latest loss was especially frustrating, as a dominant third quarter gave them a six-point lead heading into the fourth. To make matters worse, the only player at fault on the game-defining possession was the one who’s been carrying the team, averaging a career-high 27.7 points per game.
Jaylen Brown’s Late-Game Gaffe Costs Celtics Game
They say basketball is a game of runs, and that’s true. However, it’s also a game of seconds and inches. While Celtics star Jaylen Brown tracked Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe’s attempted game-winner through the air, he would have done well to remember that.
Instead, he failed to box out Sixers starter Kelly Oubre Jr., allowing him to get an easy putback. They were the 10-year veteran’s only points of the quarter.
Following the game, Brown would own up to his late-game gaffe:
“Oubre kind of just slipped behind me for an easy offensive rebound. I got caught ball watching,” he admits (h/t Celtics of CLNS). “You just gotta get in there and get in the fight.”
Jaylen Brown on failing to box out in final possession:
“Oubre just slipped behind me for an easy offensive rebound. I got caught ball watching.”
–@CLNSMedia | Q: @ByJayKing pic.twitter.com/LJAuiM1yAh— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) November 12, 2025
The quality of the Celtics’ season is in the eye of the beholder.
There are two distinct ways to view the Celtics season.
On the one hand, their record reflects the reality of their rather calamitous situation. Face of the franchise Jayson Tatum is working diligently to become the latest player to overcome a torn Achilles, but he’s out indefinitely.
In part due to Tatum’s injury, which has dampened their playoff aspirations, former cornerstones Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford now all play elsewhere. Three of their rotation players are 23 years old or younger.
Few people gave Boston even a puncher’s chance without Tatum. Yet, they’re hovering around .500 with two single-possession losses. Although that’s certainly below their standard, it’s really not bad considering the circumstances.
Another way to view the Celtics’ 2025-26 campaign is to consider what they win, even if they lose. Brown is getting an opportunity to be the No. 1 option and doing well in that role. That’s highly important if Tatum cannot reclaim his All-Star form post-surgery. Josh Minott, Hugo Gonzalez, and Jordan Walsh are the types of developing and affordable talent that can thrive in the NBA’s punitive apron era.
Last but not least, Boston controls its own first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Depending on whether that pick falls, it could be the most important factor in the Celtics’ season.
