By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

PHILADELPHIA -- The news that the Celtics may lose guard Avery Bradley for the rest of the season is an immediate blow to the team's defense, depriving Doc Rivers of his best on-ball defender in the seventh game of a series dominated by guard play. Down the road, the potential loss of Bradley could severely limit Boston's chances against stars like Miami's Dwyane Wade.

But defense wasn't Boston's problem in Game 6, the second straight game in which Bradley was a spectator with a left shoulder injury. The Celtics' failure to muster more than 75 points, and their second-worst playoff shooting performance in the New Big Three era (33.3 percent), was the main issue. Rarely have the Celtics looked this bad on offense. You'd have to go back to Game 4 of the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals against Detroit, a game in which the Celtics shot 31.8 percent from the field, to find a worse shooting performance (thanks to Sean Grande for the stat) since Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen came to town.

So where did it all go wrong? How does a team with the 18th (Garnett), 24th (Allen), and 25th (Paul Pierce) leading scorers in NBA history have trouble putting the ball in the basket?

If you parse Rivers' comments after the game, you come up with at least four answers: Missed shots, Rajon Rondo walking the ball up, Ray Allen's ankle, and, yes, the loss of Bradley.

Parse the comments further, and it becomes clear that only the first reason has nothing to do with Bradley. Brandon Bass was 2 of 12 from the field. Allen and Kevin Garnett were a combined 13 of 31. It's a make/miss league, according to Rivers, and we're all just living in it.

"Brandon had 12 shots," said Rivers, indicating that he liked that number. "And I would say nine of them just didn't go in. He's been the guy they've been giving shots to the entire series. When he makes them, it's a good thing."

Bass's misses have nothing to do with Bradley, a player who averaged six points and one assist in four games this series before being shut down. It's very possible that if some of Bass's shots go in, the Celtics win this game. Philadelphia missing 11 free throws makes that argument a moot point. Teams miss shots. It's how they overcome it that leads them to wins or losses.

Making or missing shots aside, an argument can be made that the rest of Boston's offensive problems in Game 6 were directly related to the loss of Bradley.

Allen's play is a good place to start. The best long-distance shooter of all-time was coming off the bench before Bradley got hurt, but he's been thrust into a starting role, and he's just not capable of it given his ankle issues. Allen hobbled through 25 minutes of playing time Wednesday night. With his man consistently beating him to the spot, Allen picked up six fouls before bowing out with nine points. With most of his time spent catching up to the play, he was in no position to display the shooting prowess that has made him one of the game's premiere playoff performers.

There doesn't seem to be an easy fix for Allen. The Sixers were trapping him in Game 5, leading Rivers to say that things would change if Allen got any space. Philadelphia obliged in Game 6, going away from constant trapping and leaving Allen open to take 11 shots. It didn't help.

"I think that'll be good for Ray coming into the next game, knowing that he's going to get shots," said Rivers, wishfully. He's running out of games to get his sharpshooter on track.

Allen's problems highlight Bradley's direct absence. After an ineffective Allen on the depth chart, there's 3-point-shooter Mickael Pietrus, who hasn't been hitting 3-point shots. After that, there's nowhere to turn.

The problem with Rondo is more obtuse. Rivers took issue with Rondo's pace in Game 6, complaining that the Celtics point guard walked the ball up the floor far too often. His theory is that Rondo is expending so much energy on defense that he isn't running the offense effectively.

"I thought we had a lot of empty possessions," said Rivers. "I thought we hurt ourselves with our pace. We walked the ball up the floor the entire game. We didn't get any pacing to it. We have to get Rondo running. The best game for us is to have a quick game offensively, and a slowdown game for him on the other end."

The other end being defense, where Rondo -- named to the NBA's All-Defensive second team -- has taken risks and lazy routes on pick-and-rolls. Maybe it's fatigue, but Rondo has not matched Bradley's defense, and Rivers thinks it's affecting Rondo's offense. Maybe Rivers is defending his player. Maybe Rondo's issues are all his own. Either way, he isn't likely to get a boost from the return of Bradley."

"It's what we have," said Rivers. "Clearly Avery's a great defender. But he's not playing. So I can't worry about that."

The Celtics held Philadelphia to 85 points Wednesday night, so their defense doesn't appear to be crippled without Bradley. But the team has obviously lost a spark. One more offensive output like this, and the Celtics will have lost the series.

@GlobeGaryDzen

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

Sixers coach Doug Collins made it clear in his postgame news conference that he isn't content to just force a Game 7 in Boston.

"I want more," said Collins. "I'm willing to get greedy. We want more. We've fought, we've worked hard, we've gone through a lot as a team. Our mindset is, I don't want to go into it with 'No matter what happens, we'll be OK' I want to win it."

Collins said he would tell his team to be confident and to go for broke in Game 7, which is Saturday night at TD Garden.

"You can't think of any kind of consequence," said Collins. "You've got to be poised. You've got to get through bad stretches."

One key for Philadelphia Wednesday night was in slowing down Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, who had 9 points and 6 assists to go with 4 turnovers. Rondo played a disjointed game, and it had a lot to do with how Philadelphia was playing him.

"When you play Rondo, you have to give him different looks," said Collins. "Our coverages were a little different and that helped us ... He's the head of the snake."

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

PHILADELPHIA -- The Celtics shot wide on a chance to clinch a berth in the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday night, losing Game 6, 82-75, to the Sixers at Wells Fargo Center. There will be a Game 7 in Boston Saturday night.

The Celtics turned in the second-worst shooting performance of the New Big Three era in Game 6, hitting just 26 of 78 shots for a percentage of 33.3 percent. Their previous low percentage in five seasons was 31.3 percent in Game 4 of the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons.

While the shooting woes were rare, failure to complete the series in a timely fashion has become a familiar problem with this team. The Celtics fell to 2-11 in potential series-closing games on the road since the arrivals of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in 2008.

Garnett turned in another 20-point performance despite the poor shooting (9 of 20), but Allen looked lost, the bone spurs in his ankle leaving him a shell of his healthier self. Only Paul Pierce's ability to get to the free throw line and knock down the shots -- he made all 13 -- prevented this game from being more out of hand.

Credit Philadelphia's defense for making it difficult on the Celtics, and the Sixers for hanging in the game despite offensive trouble of their own. Philadelphia committed nine turnovers in the first half and made just one of nine 3-pointers for the game.

The first 3-pointer of the game by either side -- a dagger from the corner by Mickael Pietrus -- rang in halftime and gave the Celtics a 36-33 lead. The Celtics shot just 31 percent in the first half but were saved by other areas on the stat sheet. Boston made 9 of 9 free throws in the first half, it got 8 second-chance points, and it held Philadelphia to 40 percent shooting.

Rajon Rondo usually runs the show for Boston, but he failed to record an assist in the first quarter as the Celtics trailed, 22-19, after one. He finished with 9 points, 6 assists, 9 rebounds, and 4 turnovers.

The timing of Game 7 in Boston is still up in the air and is dependent on the outcome of tomorrow night's Heat-Pacers game.

Final: Sixers 82, Celtics 75

38.7 seconds 4th quarter, Sixers 78-72: Ray Allen misses an open 3-pointer and that's all she wrote.

1:51 4th quarter, Sixers 78-69: Elton Brand hits the jumper. Kevin Garnett has found his range in the fourth quarter, but it's too late.

3:49 4th quarter, Sixers 74-65: The Celtics aren't going to shoot their way back into this game. It's a make/miss league, and they simply don't have enough makes.

7:02 4th quarter, Sixers 70-59: First double-digit lead for Philadelphia. The Celtics are running out of time. Lou Williams (7 points) is getting to the rim now when he wants to.

8:43 4th quarter, Sixers 67-59: It's do-or-die time now for the Celtics. They haven't found their offense all game, so it doesn't seem likely they'll find it now. They need to, though.

10:08 4th quarter, Sixers 63-58: The Celtics have a 41-29 edge on the boards. They're getting to loose balls. Now if only they could make a shot.

End 3d quarter, Sixers 60-56: What a dismal display for the Celtics in the third. Just six field goals in that quarter for the Celtics, who are shooting 32 percent. Pierce's free throws are the only thing keeping Boston in this game. Give Philadelphia credit. The Sixer are playing great defense.

3:35 3d quarter, Sixers 52-48: Brandon Bass is 2 for 12 after scoring 27 points in Game 5.

6:10 3d quarter, Tied at 46: Sixers make a run punctuated by an Iguodala dunk, but Pierce answers with a 3-point play. Ray Allen is out of the game with four fouls. He got abused by Evan Turner in the post on the play before.

10:54 3d quarter, Celtics 41-35: Pierce fouled shooting a 3-pointer. He makes all three; the Celtics are 14 of 14 at the line.

Halftime, Celtics 36-33: Mickael Pietrus hits the first 3-pointer of the half by either team to give the Celtics the lead at the break.

This game is uglier than normal, and that's saying a lot. Garnett and Bass have combined to shoot 5 of 19. The Sixers have nine turnovers.

4:16 2d quarter, Celtics 31-28: Third foul on Ray Allen. Lavoy Allen has three fouls for the Sixers.

6:13 2d quarter, Celtics 29-28: Great little run by the Celtics here. Garnett is running hard, and he's gotten deep position a couple of times. Pierce just got to his spot for a jumper. And Rondo seems to finally be controlling the tempo to his liking.The Celtics are shooting 37 percent, but nine free throws go a long way.

7:57 2d quarter, Sixers 28-23: This is where the Celtics can get into trouble. Turnovers or blocked shots lead to Iguodala getting out on the break. Dooling and Pietrus both complained about a non-call rather than run back on defense.

9:23 2d quarter, Sixers 24-23: Celtics getting decent minutes from Keyon Dooling. Ryan Hollins is the center of the moment.

End 1st quarter, Sixers 22-19: Uneven start.

The good: Paul Pierce (five free throws) is getting to the line. The bad: No assists in the first quarter for Rajon Rondo. He's also being beaten on defense by Jrue Holiday. Also bad: Greg Stiemsma looks like he's in over his head.

Another good thing: The Celtics are only down 3 points.

3:20 1st quarter, Sixers 15-12: Elton Brand just got a deflection and
took it right at Paul Pierce and KG for the score. Timeout, Celtics.

Speaking of Garnett, he's been invisible. He's 0 for 2.

5:16 1st quarter, Sixers 11-10: Go to the rim. Brandon Bass just missed a couple of jump shots that he should make, but the Celtics should also keep attacking. The Celtics have made just 4 of 14 shots.

8:18 1st quarter, Sixers 8-4: Ray Allen just picked up his second foul. That's a problem. Mickael Pietrus is in.

10:51 1st quarter, Sixers 2-0: Doc Rivers said before the game he was worried about turnovers. One leads to an alley-oop to Andre Iguodala. Iggy misses the chance to do it again on Philly's next possession.

12:00 1st quarter, 0-0: Loud boos for Kevin Garnett. They're playing the Iverson montage now. AI waiting in the tunnel to be introduced.

Pregame: Allen Iverson is expected to be in the building. The Sixers showed a montage of AI on the Jumbotron before the game. KG might get a couple of people yelling in his direction.

Ayla Brown just walked into the press room. I don't care if Helen of Troy walks in, this is Game 6. Let's get it.

@GlobeGaryDzen

By Gary Washburn, Globe Staff

PHILADELPHIA -- The Celtics are not expected to have Avery Bradley for the rest of the season because of a left shoulder injury. A source close to Bradley told the Globe that the percentile is in the "high 90s" that Bradley will be shut down and will perhaps need surgery.

The source said that it's "highly likely" Bradley's left shoulder would pop out again -- it has popped out twice in the series against the Philadelphia 76ers -- and playing further would put him at risk of "serious structural damage."

Bradley has missed the past two games with soreness in both shoulders, and the team's brass along with Bradley's representatives appear close to deciding to sit him for the remainder of the playoffs. Celtics coach Doc Rivers called Bradley's injury "day to day" but said he was not sure when he would return.

Bradley, the source said, will make the ultimate decision, so there is a slight possibility he could return, but the question is whether the organization would allow one of its top young players to play under such circumstances.

"He's looking at surgery in the face," the source said, adding that if Bradley did further damage to the shoulder, he could take one year to recover.

Bradley has been a critical part of the Celtics' defense and took over as the team's starting shooting guard in April. The second-year guard has been the team's most improved player and turned into a potential franchise cornerstone after an injury-plagued rookie season.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

Celtics guard Avery Bradley is officially out for tonight's game with a shoulder injury, according to coach Doc Rivers. Rivers said he could not offer further details about how long Bradley might be out.

"I think we're going to just keep saying day to day, but I really don't know," said Rivers. "It's a hard injury anyway with the shoulder involved."

Rivers said guard Ray Allen is good to go, but he cautioned against expecting a speedy recovery for either player.

"Ray and Avery, they're just not going to get better," said Rivers. "So the rest makes no difference. You've just got to list them as day to day, whether they feel better or not. With Ray you've even got to monitor during the games."

Allen's injury has limited him to 8.4 points in 32 minutes per game this series.

"I think it's simple," said Rivers. "He can't get away. Ray and Reggie Miller, Reggie when he was 38 could space himself on the floor. Right now when Ray is moving, the guy's right next to him. But he still has great value for us. Brandon [Bass] got a bunch of layups because Ray was on his side of the floor. They're just not going to leave him."

-- Rivers had a comment about trying to gauge his team's mood tonight.

"I don't even know," said Rivers. "I tell you, I'm the worst. I wish I could predict. People ask, 'What do you think?' Well hell if I know. If I knew we were going to win I'd just shut up and not say a word."

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

PHILADELPHIA -- Celtics guard Rajon Rondo and center Kevin Garnett were named to the NBA's All-Defensive second team today, while guard Avery Bradley received one first-team vote. The league's 30 coaches voted on the awards.

Rondo earned 29 points in the voting with nine first-team and 11 second-team votes. Garnett received 26 points with eight first-place votes and 10 second-team votes. The two were joined on the second team by Luol Deng, Tyson Chandler, and Kobe Bryant.

LeBron James, Chris Paul, Tony Allen, Serge Ibaka, and Dwight Howard were named to the first team. Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala got the most points (19) without being named to a team.

Boston.com's Gary Dzen will check in from Philadelphia at 4 p.m. to talk Celtics-Sixers Game 6.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

PHILADELPHIA -- As expected, the Celtics and Sixers refrained from fanning the flames Wednesday morning in regard to comments made by Kevin Garnett about Philadelphia fans. Garnett called Sixers fans "fair-weather" fans after Game 5 Monday night.

A reporter from a local television station here tried to get Garnett to talk about the comments as he walked onto the court this morning for his team's shootaround. Garnett smiled, then laughed, and kept walking.

"You know not to ask me that," said Garnett.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers did not take the bait, either.

"I don't have any reaction to that," said Rivers. "I'll let you guys stir that pot. Have at it, have fun with it. I don't think either fan base likes each other anyway. Someone asked me that yesterday and I said it doesn't make any difference."

Sixers forward Lavoy Allen said he didn't want to get involved "in all that stuff."

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

PHILADELPHIA -- Celtics guard Avery Bradley is unlikely to play in Game 6 of the Celtics-76ers series tonight in Philadelphia.

Bradley traveled with the team, but he did not participate in this morning's shootaround at Wells Fargo Center

"I don't think I'll be able to play tonight," Bradley said, looking dejected and speaking softly. "I'm definitely frustrated. All I can do is keep trying to get stronger for my team."

Bradley wouldn't commit to playing in a Game 7 or a potential next series. He sat on the bench and did strength exercises with a rubber band while his teammates went through their workout on the court.

Coach Doc Rivers also said Bradley was unlikely to play tonight.

"He's a little better," said Rivers. "Not much. We'll do what we did the other night. We'll let him warm up and see what he can do."

Celtics guard Ray Allen said he rolled his ankle in Game 5, but he said he is OK to play tonight. Allen paticipated in the shootaround. Greg Stiemsma has been dealing with an ankle injury, but he is good to go tonight.

Rivers said he liked the play of Stiemsma (5 for 5, 10 points) in Game 5.

"It's the first game in the playoffs where he just forgot all the stuff and played, wasn't second-guessing," said Rivers.

The Celtics coach said he liked the back and forth between Stiemsma and fellow backup big man Ryan Hollins.

"As this series goes on it's starting to look for us like Leon [Powe] and Baby [Glen 'Big Baby' Davis]," said Rivers. "You play one, the other one gets mad, you play the other one. And they push each other. That's what Ryan [Hollins] and Greg are doing for each other, and that's a good thing."

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

PHILADELPHIA -- Will we see another counter-punch?

The Sixers looked beaten down toward the end of Monday night's101-85 Celtics win in Game 5. But we've seen them look down before, and they bounced back nicely to win Game 4 after getting blown out in Game 3. Both teams have uttered the phrase "it's the playoffs" over and over again this series when explaining that these things tend to go back and forth, and so far they've been right. The Celtics haven't exactly been great closers (see: Hawks, Atlanta a couple of weeks ago).

Haven't made a prediction in this space yet this series, and we're certainly not about to start.

Here are the details for tonight's game:

Tip-off: 8 p.m.
Series: Celtics lead, 3-2
Broadcast info: ESPN, WEEI/850 AM/93.7 FM (Sean Grande and Cedric Maxwell)

Probable starters:

Celtics:
PG: Rajon Rondo
SG: Ray Allen
SF: Paul Pierce
PF: Brandon Bass
C: Kevin Garnett

Sixers:
PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Evan Turner
SF: Andre Iguodala
PF: Elton Brand
C: Spencer Hawes

Story lines:

Bradley's shoulder: Avery Bradley was finally forced to sit with his left shoulder injury, and Doc Rivers said Monday it could be an issue going forward. Ray Allen and Keyon Dooling were uninspiring in place of Bradley in Game 5. Philadelphia didn't take advantage of that Monday, but maybe with some time to plan they can tonight. Bradley, as usual, is questionable.

Who steps up?: Brandon Bass isn't going to score 18 points in a quarter again. He just isn't. And so someone else needs to step up for the Celtics. We keep waiting for it to be Allen, but that hasn't happened. Mickael Pietrus? Ryan Hollins? A big game from Pierce?

KG's bluster: It took a while, but we finally got the first bulletin-board material of the series when Kevin Garnett called Sixers fans "fair weather" fans. That's not going to play well in Philly, where the fans seem to combine the most, ahem, boisterous aspects of New York and Boston fans. Will the Sixers themselves be fired up by the comments? Probably not. But it's something to talk about.

@GlobeGaryDzen

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

Your move, Papelbon.

Celtics center Kevin Garnett took a shot at Sixers fans after Game 5 Monday night when asked to compare crowd at TD Garden in Boston to the one at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

“Not even close," said Garnett. "You got fans and then you got fair-weather fans. Take that how you want."

The Celtics have to play Game 6 in Philadelphia Wednesday night, so the timing for the bulletin board material might not be the best. Not that Garnett will have any trouble getting fired up. Garnett elaborated on his feelings for Boston fans.

"Speaking about this crowd, it’s like plugging in," said Garnett. "I feel like every minute I look up, I see my family, I see people yelling, I see the drunk, fat guy. I can't decipher one from the other. This crowd is ridiculous. I love it."

Former Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon took a shot at Boston fans this offseason after he signed with the Phillies.

"The Boston fans are a little bit more hysterical when it comes to the game of baseball," Papelbon told a Philadelphia radio station in March. "The Philly fans tend to know the game a little better."

@GlobeGaryDzen

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

The Celtics won Game 5 against Philadelphia convincingly Monday night, grabbing hold of the series at a crucial pivot point. It's their series to win Wednesday in Philadelphia, or allowing for a blip, Saturday at home in Game 7.

There was a jovial mood around TD Garden Monday night. Brandon Bass set a career playoff-high with 27 points, and fans got to see Bass flash his shy smile on the podium in the postgame press conference. The Celtics won by 16 points, and fan-favorite Greg Stiemsma had a nice game with 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting. Fans were in such a good mood that they serenaded former fan-favorite Brian Scalabrine -- who was working for Comcast -- with chants of "Scal-a-brine" while the game was still going on.

There was a lot to feel good about after the game, but some bad news before it cast a shadow on the Celtics' playoff chances. Avery Bradley sat out Game 5 with a shoulder injury, and his status going forward is uncertain. The Celtics may have to go parts of, or maybe even the whole, playoffs without him.

Not to throw a wet blanket at the party, but there should be an occasional reality check to go with the game-by-game, back-and-forth emotions that fans feel after every playoff win and loss. Though it may seem like the Celtics should be up 6-0 in this series, the fact is they've struggled to take even a one-game lead, and they'll need to win another game on the road to prevent the series from going the maximum seven. It's been anything but easy.

There are reasons to suggest it won't get any easier. Before the game, Celtics coach Doc Rivers gave a sobering assessment of Bradley's injury.

"The strength just won't return right now," said Rivers. "It's pretty bad. We've got to still keep winning, obviously. He'll play games I think. This is probably how it's going to be from this point on. I think he'll play a game and miss a couple."

Despite the win, the evidence that the Celtics will miss Bradley going forward was on display in Game 5. Ray Allen, Bradley's replacement, had just 5 points in 33 minutes. Rivers has called him "limited". There's no question that he is. Next in line are guards Mickael Pietrus and Keyon Dooling, who combined for 3 points in 29 minutes. The production after Bradley doesn't just drop off, it plunges.

On the surface, Bradley was averaging just 6 points per game in the series, so his loss could be viewed as a minor one. But a deeper look at the numbers reveals how much Bradley means to the team. The Celtics are 35 points better in the series with Bradley on the floor. In a 9-point loss Friday night, Bradley was plus-12 in 27 minutes of playing time. He was plus-18 in Game 2, when the Celtics lost by 1.

If you're dismissive of plus/minus -- and you wouldn't be wrong -- the eye test should tell you just how much better the Celtics are with Bradley on the floor. Allen can't guard anybody with his bum ankle, and his man is beating him constantly. That leads to a chain reaction of Celtics helping, getting out of position, and allowing easy baskets. The Sixers scored 50 points in the first half for just that reason.

Matchups are also a problem. Bradley gives the Celtics one sticky defender to latch onto the other team's best perimeter player. In this series, the Celtics have no one to match up with Philadelphia's Evan Turner. It hasn't burned the Celtics too much so far, but Turner had 11 points and 10 rebounds in Game 5. It would have been worse if Turner made more than 5 of 13 shots. If the Celtics have no one to match up with Turner, can you imagine if they get through this series and then have to match up with either Dwyane Wade or Paul George?

"We lose our defensive captain, really," Rivers said of losing Bradley. "It takes away the ability to put Rondo on different guys to give him a rest at times. To ask Rondo to do that and run the team is very difficult."

Finally there's the issue of rotations. The Celtics can't employ their small lineup without Bradley. The three-guard set was what allowed this whole magical end-of-season run to happen in the first place. Without Bradley, the Celtics are forced to go big or risk being totally ineffective with Dooling or Pietrus. Going big worked in Game 5 because Greg Stiemsma made all five of his shots from the field and because Bass scored 27. But that doesn't make up for the fact that the Celtics have lost their most effective lineup going forward. Stiemsma has been a liability on defense at times this series.

The Celtics should win this series, with or without Bradley. But as they go deeper into the playoffs, they'd better hope for his return. Rivers said Bradley will be limited until the offseason, playing one game for every two he sits out. As long as that holds, expect the Celtics to be similarly inconsistent.

@GlobeGaryDzen

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

Brandon Bass's 27-point game was the talk of the players and coaches from both teams after Game 5. Bass scored 18 of his 27 points in the third quarter, but the Celtics forward was unaware of that stat during his postgame press conference.

"I didn't even know that," said Bass. "I've been working at it a long time. I'm just grateful it got to pay off."

Bass is soft-spoken, and he admitted that it was the first time he'd had a game worthy of being invited to the podium. He had averaged 11.8 points in the first four games of this series.

"Brandon was phenomenal," said Celtics center Greg Stiemsma. "The way he shoots the ball, the way he was aggressive tonight ... We knew there were a few spots where he was going to get some looks. We never imagined the game he finished with tonight."

Said Doc Rivers, "He didn't try to do too much. He let the game come to him and trusted his teammates."

Sixers coach Doug Collins might not have expected Bass to come up with such a big game, either, but the coach pinpointed what he thought his team's problem was trying to stop Bass.

"They did a really good job with our coverages," said Collins. "We were making a really conscious effort to keep Paul Pierce down. And he did a good job stringing us out and making some plays along that baseline. They were just quicker to the basket, Brandon was. He didn't depend solely on his jump shot."

In simpler terms, "Too many easy baskets. Too many dunks."

Bass was asked if it was the best game of his career.

"I haven't even thought about it yet," said Bass. "I guess when we get that next win, I'll think about it then."

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

Brandon Bass scored 18 points in the third quarter and 27 points for the game as the Celtics turned on the intensity after halftime and ran away from the Philadelphia 76ers, 101-85, in Game 5 at TD Garden.

The Celtics trailed by four at halftime, but Bass's unlikely outburst was the catalyst for a third quarter that saw the Celtics shoot 61 percent and hold Philadelphia to 33 percent shooting. Bass was 6 for 7 in the third; Rajon Rondo assisted on 7 of Boston's 11 field goals in the period. The Celtics played the game without Avery Bradley, who sat out with a left shoulder injury.

Bradley's defense was missed in the first half as the Celtics allowed Philadelphia to shoot 55 percent from the floor. The Sixers had eight offensive rebounds and scored 10 second-chance points in the first half.

But the Celtics turned it on in the third quarter, putting their foot down after halftime like they so often do. In the blink of an eye, the Celtics went on a 10-0 run to take a 63-57 lead with 4:56 remaining. They led by nine points after three and never looked back.

In addition to Bass's big game, the Celtics got 20 points from Kevin Garnett. Rondo added 13 points and 14 assists.

Game 6 is Wednesday night in Philadelphia, where the Celtics have a chance to close out the series and await the winner of Miami-Indiana.

2:49 4th quarter, Celtics 96-76: Gino Time.

5:31 4th quarter, Celtics 89-72: Good response by the Celtics to open it up. Rondo is up to 13 assists. Will Smith and Jada have left the building.

8:14 4th quarter, Celtics 81-66: Celtics are forcing their offense the last two minutes or so. They can close the game out here if they play a little smarter.

9:53 4th quarter, Celtics 79-66: Bass back into the game for Stiemsma after a brief rest. Give the man the ball.

Lavoy Allen picked up his fourth foul for Philadelphia. That could be big.

End 3d quarter, Celtics 75-66: Holy cow. Brandon Bass scored 18 points in the third quarter and Paul Pierce punctuated the period with a step-back jumper to put the Celtics up by nine. Total scoring in the third: Celtics 28, Sixers 16.

2:30 3d quarter, Celtics 67-64: How are the Celtics going to close this quarter without Garnett? Try Brandon Bass, who's got 14 points in the quarter after scoring five in the first half. He's doing chin-ups on the rim.

4:48 3d quarter, Celtics 63-57: It's loud in here. Philly turnovers are leading to easy buckets for the Celtics. Rondo has a nice thing working with Brandon Bass down low. Even Ray Allen has gotten into transition.

One weird stat: Rondo scored six of the C's first nine points driving to the hoop. Missed two free throws with 1:18 left in first. Hasn't scored since.

6:56 3d quarter, Sixers 57-50: Philadelphia is leaving the door open here. Kevin Garnett just got called for an offensive foul using his off arm to shield Elton Brand on a dunk attempt. Apparently KG isn't as big of a star as Griffin. Crowd did not like that call too much.

9:53 3d quarter, Sixers 55-49: Spencer Hawes just picked up his fourth personal. That's tough to do for a guy who doesn't enter the paint.

Halftime, Sixers 50-47: This Philadelphia team is on pace for 100 points? There's your problem right there. Sixers are shooting 55 percent.

It's Turn Back the Clock Night here as Elton Brand has 12 points and Garnett has 14 points to lead all scorers.

3:20 2d quarter, Sixers 45-40: Crowd groans as the Celtics give up another offensive chance on this possession. Are people just discovering they can't rebound? Rebounding total is 18-12, Sixers. The Sixers have 8 offensive rebounds. The Celtics have 8 defensive rebounds.

6:25 2d quarter, Sixers 40-35: Rondo throws an alley-oop attempted for Mickael Pietrus that Pietrus can't get to. Air France, maybe not. Lou Williams has no conscience. Took a long jumper with a hand in his face and canned it.

8:52 2d quarter, Sixers 31-30: Ryan Hollins with two rebounds and a put-back on a Garnett miss. That got the crowd fired up. Pierce follows with a 3-pointer.

Will Smith and Chris Rock are both in the house.

End 1st quarter, Sixers 27-23: Philadelphia shoots 57 percent to Boston's 56 percent and leads after one. The Celtics were using a funky lineup of Rondo, Allen, Pietrus, Stiemsma, and Bass for a little while. This is the post-Avery Bradley era. Jrue Holiday has seven points for the Sixers.

2:09 1st quarter, Sixers 23-19: Greg Stiemsma is in the game as the Celtics go big instead of small. He's got six points and is 3 of 3, but he's getting beaten on defense and on the boards. That's the highs and lows of playing him.

5:46 1st quarter, Sixers 12-11: Rajon Rondo leads all scorers with six points. The Celtics are making lazy passes. They've got two turnovers to two assists, but it could be worse.

9:53 1st quarter, Celtics 5-2: Ray Allen hits his first 3-point attempt for the game. Good sign.

Pregame: Avery Bradley is out. Ray Allen starts for the Celtics. Celtics lose their "defensive captain", according to Doc Rivers. Series complexion has changed. Let's get it.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

"We lose our defensive captain, really," said Rivers. "It takes away the ability to put Rondo on different guys to give him a rest at times. To ask Rondo to do that and run the team is very difficult."

Rivers said Bradley has an injury to both shoulders, though only the left shoulder has given him chronic problems. Rivers said Bradley's right shoulder is sore from trying to protect the other one.

"The strength just won't return right now," said Rivers. "It's pretty bad. We've got to still keep winning, obviously. He'll play games I think. This is probably how it's going to be from this point on. I think he'll play a game and miss a couple."

The first signs that Bradley might have been unable to go tonight came this morning when he wasn't spotted in the media portion of the team's shootaround. Bradley usually warms up at TD Garden with Rondo and the two Celtics rookies, but he was not on the court a couple of hours before the game. Rivers said that Bradley's status for Game 6 Wednesday is uncertain.

"We're going to focus on tonight and take care of that," said Rivers. "If Avery could play he would play. He wants to play. He just can't."

Rivers said Allen, Keyon Dooling, and Mickael Pietrus would fill in for Bradley. He hoped that Allen would step up the most but called him "limited" as well with an ankle injury.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

Celtics guard Avery Bradley was present at the team's shootaround this morning in Waltham, but it was unclear if Bradley shot around or stood around as his team prepared for Game 5. Bradley is a game-time decision tonight, and he's been day-to-day for some time now. This is something that isn't going to go away as long as the Celtics are alive this postseason.

We're back in Boston for Game 5, but Celtics fans probably didn't expect the series to be tied after a blowout win in Game 3 and a great start for the Celtics in Game 4. The Sixers have played two to three quarters of good basketball in this series, but we're dead even.

Here are the details for tonight's game:

Tip-off: 7 p.m.
Series: Tied at 2
Broadcast info: TNT, WEEI/850 AM/93.7 FM (Sean Grande and Cedric Maxwell)

Probable starters:

Celtics:
PG: Rajon Rondo
SG: Avery Bradley
SF: Paul Pierce
PF: Brandon Bass
C: Kevin Garnett

Sixers:
PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Evan Turner
SF: Andre Iguodala
PF: Elton Brand
C: Spencer Hawes

Story lines:

Bounce back for KG?: Kevin Garnett turned 36 years old on Saturday, but he hasn't looked his age until his 3-of-12 performance Friday night. Will the extra day of rest help Garnett? You've got to figure he's not going to turn the ball over again seven times.

After Bradley: If Bradley can't go, or if he's more limited than he's been, someone needs to step up. Ray Allen hasn't had a Ray Allen game so far this series. A 20-point outburst could make up for the loss of some of Bradley's production. On the other side, Mickael Pietrus could come in and play the defensive role that Bradley provides. But someone else has to do something.

Sixers stepping up: Rookie Lavoy Allen gave Philadelphia 32 huge minutes in Game 4, leading the team with 10 rebounds. For the first time all series the Celtics were unable to go small down the stretch, and Philadelphia used Allen to expose the weaknesses in Boston's bigger lineup. Sixers guard Lou Williams was a plus-28 in Game 4.

@GlobeGaryDzen

By Gary Washburn, Globe Staff

WALTHAM -- Avery Bradley, who has been nursing a left shoulder that had popped out of socket twice in the Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Philadelphia 76ers, participated in shootaround this morning and his status for tonight's game is uncertain. Bradley played in Game 4 but did not practice Sunday.

Bradley is averaging 6 points on 36 percent shooting in the Philadelphia series.

Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy and John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer discuss Game 4 of the Celtics-76ers series.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

PHILADELPHIA -- Things fall apart. A big first-half lead and the Celtics' hopes of an easy series fell hard Friday night with an 92-83 loss at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers. There will be a Game 6 next week in Philadelphia. Talk of a potential Celtics-Pacers Conference Finals turned out to be premature.

With a towel wrapped around his head, Kevin Garnett sat and stared at the box score in one corner of the Celtics locker room after Game 4. He's accustomed to staring at his numbers after each game, but he usually does it while taking questions at the podium. This time, the Celtics center stared and stared, then threw the piece of paper down with disgust. Garnett left the arena Friday night without answering questions from reporters.

The numbers he was looking at were indeed dreadful: 9 points, 3 of 12 shooting, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, and 7 turnovers in 40 minutes. The seven turnovers tied his Celtics career-high, set in the season-opener against Miami in 2010.

Garnett came to Wells Fargo Center by himself to get some shots up on his team's day off Thursday, but Friday night's game proved that Garnett can't win this series by himself. If the superhero Garnett from Games 1 and 3 of the series doesn't show up, the Celtics can't feel sorry for themselves.

"I don't know [what happened with Garnett]," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Friday night. "I never thought we established him. I thought he was a passer tonight, a lot. We've got to get him back in the middle of the paint."

Garnett was a passer who threw the ball to the other team seven times, a disastrous portion of 17 Celtics turnovers that led directly to the team's downfall. After leading all players in plus/minus rating during the first three games of the series with a plus-47, Garnett was a minus-2 in Game 4.

The numbers are discouraging, and it highlights the fact that the Celtics center, who turns 36 years old Saturday, should not be expected to be a dominant force every night. For every two or three good games, he's going to throw in a clunker.

Other players have to step in. For a good portion of Friday's game the would-be hero was Pierce. The Celtics captain made 8 of 13 shots for 24 points, and he almost willed the Celtics to the win despite their poor second half. But in the playoffs it takes more than one. Rajon Rondo can sometimes be that guy, but he went through cold stretches in Game 4 that contrasted the brilliance of his 15 assists.

"I've got to do a better job of slowing us down, getting us in the right sets, and getting guys to execute offensively," said Rondo.

Those sets usually involve Garnett, but the Celtics were unable to find their big man in the right places. Garnett's shot chart looked like a cartoon-character's eyes after he's expired; "X" marked the spot in nine places. He took just two shots in the paint.

Garnett's expiration date has clearly been extended by his brilliant play this postseason, but the Celtics need to equip themselves for success when Garnett has an off night. Pierce did his job, and for the most part Rondo did his, but Ray Allen was virtually invisible again with five points. The Celtics didn't score for a stretch of six minutes in the second quarter because their bench didn't score. Instead of building on a 20-5 lead, Celtics reserves allowed Philadelphia to hang around long enough to eventually take it. With Michael Pietrus, Ryan Hollins, and Keyon Dooling playing most of the reserve minutes in addition to Allen, it's not clear where the extra production will come from. Brandon Bass had a nice game with 15 points in 22 minutes. More playing time may be in his future.

Garnett will take this loss hard, like always. It might not be a very happy birthday. But relying on a 36-year-old player to score 25 points or more every night is a flawed approach to begin with, no matter how spectacular that player is. Garnett needs help. Only then will the Celtics have a real shot at a title.

@GlobeGaryDzen

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

PHILADELPHIA -- Celtics coach Doc Rivers looked frustrated but not defeated after the Celtics lost Game 4, 92-83, Friday night.

"I thought they came out and became more physical, and I thought we got into that instead of playing basketball," said Rivers. "I thought in the first half the execution was beautiful. We did all the right things. In the second half we just didn't do it."

The Sixers had 17 offensive rebounds to five for the Celtics. Boston had 17 turnovers. Philadelphia shot 36 free throws. The Celtics blew a huge first-half lead.

"Everything we did was the prescription that you don't do," said Rivers. "We took it away from ourselves."

On the other side was Sixers coach Doug Collins, who was impressed with the heart of his players.

"Our guys are pretty amazing," said Collins. "They really, really are."

More reaction:

Rajon Rondo tried to explain his team's almost seven-minute drought from the floor in the third quarter.

"I've got to do a better job of slowing us down, getting us in the right sets, and getting guys to execute offensively," said Rondo.

-- Andre Iguodala was calm and collected after the win.

"We don't have as much experience as them," said Iguodala. "But we definitely have a lot of experience in a lot of situations we've been through. This is a good win for us. It puts us in a better place.

"We probably shot as poorly as we could shoot. ... Whether we're making shots or not, if our defense is standing strong, we'll be in a good position."

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers used a 9-0 run in the final 83 seconds of Game 4 to complete a stunning comeback over the Celtics, 92-83, Friday night at Wells Fargo Center.

The Celtics jumped out to a 14-0 lead in Game 4, silencing a Philadelphia crowd that was hoping their team would come out with a better focus in their attempt to even the series. Instead, the Sixers struggled to put the ball in the ocean. They shot 23 percent from the field in the first half, negating the benefit of 21 free throw attempts and failing to take advantage of a six-minute stretch in which the Celtics didn't score a single point. Sixers guard Evan Turner was 2 of 14 before halftime.

But the Celtics went almost seven minutes without a field goal to start the third quarter, a drought that allowed the Sixers to get right back into it. The Celtics went 5 for 18 from the floor in the third and sent the Sixers to the line nine times. Philadelphia attempted 36 free throws Friday night after shooting 63 in the first three games of the series combined.

A four-point lead at the end of the third quarter quickly evaporated as the Sixers took their first lead of the game. Usually the better closing team, the Celtics were out-closed by the Sixers down the stretch as Andre Iguodala caught fire from the perimeter. Lou Williams chipped in his first big game off the bench with 15 points.

The Celtics and Sixers finally get a break in the schedule as the series shifts back to Boston for Game 5 at TD Garden Monday night, but it won't be a happy weekend for the Celtics, who are now forced to consider once again the possibility of their own demise.

Final: Sixers 92, Celtics 83

36.9 seconds, Sixers 88-83: Iguodala with a huge 3-pointer to put the Sixers up two possessions. Incredible poise by Philadelphia in the final minutes.

3:34 4th quarter, Celtics 79-76: Big 3-pointer by Ray Allen. A couple of bad shots by Philly. KG hits two free-throws.

5:48 4th quarter, Tied at 74: Rondo throws a pass off Bradley. Five turnovers for the Celtics this quarter, 17 for the game.

7:37 4th quarter, tied at 70: Thaddeus Young ties it at the line. Neither team giving in.

10:01 4th quarter, Tied at 63: Philly is all the way back.

END 3d quarter, Celtics 63-59: The Sixers have come alive, and there's life in this building. This game has become so ugly that Philadelphia is in it despite how ugly they've played. Garnett is just 2 of 10 with five turnovers. Rondo picked up his fourth foul at the end of the quarter. The Celtics need him back out there, and they need him to be great.

Andre Iguodala's 2-pointer was changed to a 3-pointer, giving Philly another point.

3:41 3d quarter, Celtics 58-49: The Celtics finally make a few field goals after going the first six-plus minutes of the third quarter without it. Pierce with a huge three, and Brandon Bass steps up and makes a big jumper as well. Love the confidence he took that shot with.

6:06 3d quarter, Celtics 51-33: A Garnett free throw ends a 10-0 run for the Sixers. This is getting ugly.

8:12 3d quarter, Celtics 50-39: Sixers hit their first two shots from the floor since halftime. Celtics have yet to make a field goal in the third quarter. Kevin Garnett has five turnovers.

9:43 3d quarter, Celtics 50-33: Kevin Garnett called for a technical, then Elton Brand gets T'd up for giving a foul to KG. Strange little sequence.

10:50 3d quarter, Celtics 50-31: Avery Bradley just popped his left shoulder out again. He stays in the game to shoot his free throws, otherwise he can't come back in. He looked to be in pain when it happened, but he's working through it.

Halftime, Celtics 46-31: The Celtics didn't score for a stretch of six minutes but still increased their lead in the second quarter. Boston's bench has a total of two points, a layup by Ray Allen.

Paul Pierce has 12 points and Brandon Bass 13 for the visitors. Rondo is up to 9 points and 9 assists. The Celtics have won 44 games in a row when leading by 14 points or more.

2:14 2d quarter, Celtics 39-28: Rajon Rondo is in total control. Back-to-back hoops have the Celtics up by double-digits. Rondo has 7 points and 9 assists already.

4:37 2d quarter, Celtics 32-23: One big problem for the Celtics: they've attempted 15 free throws to five for Philadelphia. The Sixers are shooting 23 percent but are in the game because they're getting to the line.

6:37 2d quarter, Celtics 29-20: The Celtics went almost six minutes without scoring a point. The Sixers made their run because none of the Celtics reserves could score in their stint. All points are from starters.

Good resilience by the Sixers not to let the start take them out of the game. Now the Celtics are counter-punching. We have a ball game here.

9:29 2d quarter, Celtics 24-14: The Celtics are struggling with Rondo off the floor. Usually a turnover leads to a score, but without Rondo, the Celtics can't take advantage.

END 1st quarter, Celtics 24-12: The Sixers are shooting 19 percent. Brandon Bass has 10 points.

3:33 1st quarter, Celtics 20-5: The Sixers can't do anything right. The Celtics have Garnett out of the game and they're not losing their lead. Doc Rivers has sped up his rotations somewhat.

8:24 1st quarter, Celtics 14-0: It's an all out blitz. What a start.

10:09 1st quarter, Celtics 9-0: Pierce, Garnett, and Bass have scored. Pierce is 2 of 2. Sixers have taken two bad shots.

Pregame: Doc Rivers cautioned against making too much of his team's 2-1 lead in the series, saying it wouldn't be viewed as such a big deal had both teams held serve at home. Senator Scott Brown is in the house in support of his daughter Ayla, who does Philadelphia's anthems.

The giant parking lot around the Wells Fargo Center and Citizen's Bank Park is full as two Boston teams are in town. Let's get it.

@GlobeGaryDzen

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

Sixers coach Doug Collins said he will stick with Elton Brand in the starting lineup despite Brand's struggles and despite the emergence of rookie Lavoy Allen. Collins said Brand has "meant too much to this team" over the years, and that he feels loyalty to Brand.

The Miami Heat made a change in their starting lineup, inserting Dexter Pittman at the center position in Game 3 last night. Celtics coach Doc Rivers was asked about teams making lineup changes in the middle of playoff series.

"If you have to do it you have to do it," Rivers said. "It's one game at a time, and you have to win that game. But I don't do it very often. Sometimes you sub early, something like that. I'm a big believer in continuity."

Rivers replaced Ray Allen with Avery Bradley in the Celtics starting lineup earlier this season. It looks like that's here to stay.

JaJuan Johnson and Sean Williams are inactive for the Celtics.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

PHILADELPHIA -- Celtics players got back on the basketball court collectively Friday morning for the first time since Game 3, holding a shootaround at the Wells Fargo Center.

The Celtics did not practice yesterday, though the team did watch film. Coach Doc Rivers said Paul Pierce and Ray Allen did some running Thursday, and that Kevin Garnett went over to the arena on his own to get some shots up.

"We definitely take more days off this year than we probably ever have," said Rivers. "But I think this schedule has forced that action. When we don't practice, guys still work on their games....especially veterans, more than young guys, understand what they need to do to keep them in rhythm.

"I think young guys, days off are bad, because they think a day off is a day off. They don't understand what gets them to the next game."

The Celtics' approach is in contrast to Philadelphia's. With a young team, Doug Collins said he values his practice time and that every day in the playoffs is a learning experience.

"Championship teams, teams that have done it, have a certain mindset," said Collins. "We're learning about ourselves. I think that's the good part about what we're going through. It'll be fun tonight to see how we react to it."

-- All Celtics were good to go for shootaround this morning. Paul Pierce wore a rigid brace on his left knee. He said he's been wearing the brace for practice but not for games ever since he injured the knee during a shootaround in the Atlanta series.

Chat with Boston.com's Gary Dzen from Philadelphia ahead of Friday night's game between the Celtics and Sixers.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

PHILADELPHIA -- The Celtics' offensive explosion was the story Wednesday night, but something tells me we're going to go back to talking about defense in Game 4.

The Sixers were 1-11 during the regular season when giving up 100 points or more. There was something disappointing about Philly's lack of effort on the defensive side of the ball in Game 3. Expect more muck tonight.

Here are the details for tonight's game:

Tip-off: 8 p.m.
Series: Celtics lead, 2-1
Broadcast info: ESPN, WEEI/850 AM/93.7 FM (Sean Grande and Cedric Maxwell)

Probable starters:

Celtics:
PG: Rajon Rondo
SG: Avery Bradley
SF: Paul Pierce
PF: Brandon Bass
C: Kevin Garnett

Sixers:
PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Evan Turner
SF: Andre Iguodala
PF: Elton Brand
C: Spencer Hawes

Story lines:

The Big Three: In Game 3 it was Rondo, Garnett, and Pierce, with Allen scoring just 3 points in 25 minutes. Bradley was scoreless in 20 minutes. The Celtics can't continue to expect Garnett to put up point totals in the high 20s. Actually, who knows what to expect from Garnett these days besides excellence. Still, more scoring help would be good.

The other A.I.: Iguodala should be torching the Celtics. Instead, he scored just 10 points and took six shots in Game 3. With Pierce matched up on him, Iguodala would do well to stop settling for jump shots and try to beat Pierce off the dribble. Also, shoot more.

Mettle: It's fun to throw out a bunch of stats at the beginning of this this thing and then end it with a reference to good old-fashioned gumption. It might sound like nonsense, but there are intangible factors in basketball. Can the Sixers rally from a crushing blow? What are they made of? Will the Celtics keep their feet on the gas?

@GlobeGaryDzen

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

PHILADELPHIA -- Celtics guard Ray Allen attempted just one shot from the floor in 25 minutes in Game 3, but Allen said Thursday afternoon he isn't concerned about how many looks he gets.

"It's the playoffs, so you've got to play to your second and third options," Allen said from the team's hotel. "You've got to try and get easy baskets. They're trying to take me and Paul out of the game ... When I come off screens there are two guys there, so to be out there I've got to have some kind of impact other than scoring."

Rajon Rondo called Allen an unselfish player Thursday, and he also used the term to describe Kevin Garnett. Garnett has been having monster scoring games in the playoffs, and he had another one with 27 points in Game 3. Allen said Garnett came to him in the locker room after the game to have a heart-to-heart.

"He told me last night, 'We've gotta do whatever we can to get you open,'" said Allen. "I looked at him and I said, 'Kevin. You're the guy that's making shots. You're the guy that's scoring, and we just won by 20. I don't need to shoot for the sake of my ego or anything like that. You should do what you're doing.'"

Celtics coach Doc Rivers gave the opponent credit for limiting Allen's shots.

“Philly's a good defensive team, and they're going to take us out of some stuff," said Rivers. "They're clearly top-blocking Ray. They're face-guarding Ray. And the same thing with Paul [Pierce]. They're trapping Paul for the most part off every pick and roll. They're trapping him on the post. So that means you may not get as many shots as usual, but you have to do other stuff. And I thought all the guys, you could see they had that in them last night.”

For the first time in quite a while, there was no mention of Allen's injured ankle at the media session.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

PHILADELPHIA -- Celtics coach Doc Rivers warned against drawing too many conclusions after the Celtics' blowout win over Philadelphia in Game 3. He took a stance against extremes on both sides, also pointing out the flaws in the argument that the Celtics can rest easy now after they got home court advantage back.

"I don't know who said that," said Rivers. "Not our guys. That's not our thought. I'm serious. We never said that. That's what you guys say. We're taking one at a time. We won the first one and now we have another one. The key for us is the focus to play with the same energy and not play like you won one and now you can relax. You have to win the series. You can't look at what you've done if you lost or won. That last game's over."

Rivers said he was impressed that his team didn't settle for jump shots in Game 3.

"Last night we saw what we didn't see in Game 2," said Rivers. "Every time they went on runs, we came down and took a jump shot. Last night, any time we missed a couple of shots, we went right back to the post, whether it was with the drive or with the post pass.

"We didn't change anything what we do. We wanted them to understand what we were trying to do. It's not like I sat around and we created a new offense. First of all I'm not smart enough to do that, and I don't think players are smart enough to do that themselves. We made a point of running what we wanted to run. We've got to be who we are."

On getting into a set vs. running in transition, Rivers said, "I thought Rondo walked that line perfectly."

-- Celtics forward Brandon Bass wasn't afraid to take 10 shots in Game 3 after making only 5 of 15 shots in Game 3. Bass told reporters Thursday that Rivers encouraged him to keep shooting. Rivers said he likes going small and admits that Bass's role has changed because of that. He said that the Celtics have gone small specifically to match up with Philadelphia, and he said he's figured out that going small only works with Garnett on the floor.

"Listen if you're a shooter you better keep taking them," said Rivers. "Brandon has more value to us than that, but that's what he does. Brandon takes shots and he makes 15-footers, and he hasn't been making them. But he has to keep taking them."

-- Rondo wasn't particularly interested in sweeping generalizations on Thursday, either.

"I mean we made shots yesterday," said Rondo. "That happens. Other days before we had lulls where we didn't score the basketball at all and it carried over defensively. Last night was a night where we made a lot of shots. We're human. There's ups and downs. We're not going to continue to play perfect every night. But it's about wins, whether we win by 20 or win by one."

-- Rivers said he isn't thinking about the possibility that this could be the last championship run for this group of Celtics.

"I don't play it up. I can tell you that. This is this year. Hell, I don't know what's going to go on two months from now. I don't even want to think of that."

Said Paul Pierce, "I think the last couple years it's been like that. We want to win the championship regardless of whether it's going to be our last time."

Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News says not only do the 76ers have no chance of beating the Celtics, no other team in the NBA has a chance either if the Celtics keep playing like they did in Game 3.

"When you get those three horses [Celtics Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo] going the way they were going, it's pretty hard for anyone to beat them," Cooney says.

Watch his interview with CineSport's Noah Coslov above.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

Interesting statistics, some advanced, some not, through three games:

-- Kevin Garnett is 31 for 49 from the floor (63.3 percent) in three games. The Celtics have run 28.4 percent of their plays through Garnett, who has an offensive rating (ORtg) of 114 points per the team's 100 possessions.

-- The Celtics outscored Philadelphia 50-38 in the paint in Game 3. Garnett did not miss a shot (6 of 6) in the paint.

-- The Celtics attempted 28 free throws in Game 3 after attempting 28 free throws combined in Games 1 and 2.

-- The Sixers are 0-2 in the playoffs when teams shoot better than 60 percent against them. They were 0-8 in the regular season. The Celtics shot 51.9 percent in Game 3.

-- Garnett had 27 points, 13 rebounds and four assists in Game 3. Only Charles Barkley and Karl Malone put up those numbers in a playoff game after turning 36.

-- Rajon Rondo has assisted on 61.4 percent of his team's field goals. Jrue Holiday has an assist percentage of 25.1 percent.

-- Ray Allen is shooting 67 percent from the free throw line

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

Three games in, the Celtics and 76ers are beginning to separate. And that's not just a reference to the blowout. A win like Wednesday night's 107-91 drubbing in Game 3 will bring about that conclusion, but it's about more than the score. Little, pointed details about how both sides approach the game of basketball are starting to emerge.

We're beginning to understand just who the Celtics, and the Sixers, really are.

The series is the ultimate study in contrasts. The Celtics are old; the Sixers are young. The Celtics have stars; the Sixers have a team concept. But the main difference that's emerged is that the Celtics are trying to prove to others that they can win the championship. The Sixers are trying to prove it to themselves.

On the surface, both teams are fighting for the same thing. It's a second-round playoff series, with a chance to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals and meet the winner of the Heat and Pacers. Most teams don't make it this far. Which is exactly what Sixers coach Doug Collins mentioned to his team during the third quarter of Game 3 Wednesday night.

"There are a lot of teams not playing right now," said Collins, the audio captured by TNT's cameras. "I don't want anybody to put their head down. Everybody put their heads up."

Philadelphia was being blitzed with a run that would span the second and third quarters, a run where the Celtics would ultimately put 61 points on the scoreboard to Philadelphia's 34. The game was slipping away from Collins's team, and he knew he needed to give them an encouraging talk. Despite the pep rally feel of the thing, heads remained down and effort remained a problem for Philadelphia players.

Doc Rivers rarely has that problem with his team. The Celtics haven't faced the kind of deficit in the playoffs that the Sixers faced Wednesday night, but Rivers's huddle, also mic'd up by TNT, provided a total contrast in approach. With his team leading by double-digits, Rivers calmly urged his team to do one thing.

"Rondo, defense," Rivers said. "Paul, defense now."

While Collins is faced with the task of appealing to his young team's psyche on a nightly basis, Rivers is allowed to just coach. The Celtics have very few guys who need to be coached up. Of the ones they do have, only Avery Bradley plays crucial minutes. JaJuan Johnson has been inactive, and fellow rookie E'Twaun Moore has only seen garbage time. In a private moment after Game 3, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge took Bradley aside and explained to him the ebbs and flows of playoff basketball, urging Bradley not to be too down on himself after a performance where he failed to score in 20 minutes of play.

Bradley could have been emotional after a sub-par game, but he was one player of 15. Philadelphia has a roster of players who have alternated between tight, down, carefree, and careless in three games. Twice their unpredictability got them to within a point of the favored Celtics. Wednesday night, it got them nowhere.

"Right now this is all new for us," said Collins. "We're going to learn from this and hopefully be better in Game 4."

Of course it doesn't hurt the Celtics that in addition to having emotional maturity, they have legitimate stars. Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and Kevin Garnett combined for 74 points in Game 3. It was the first time all year those three stars each scored more than 20 points in a game, and it highlighted just how much a game and a series can be swayed by the great play of a few players.

It's no secret the Sixers don't have that one big player, and that's led some pundits to dismiss Philadelphia. With that doubt comes the question about whether or not the Celtics and Sixers themselves believe Philly has a chance.

Collins didn't help subdue that theory in his postgame press conference.

"You can tell with them," said Collins. " I think they're looking at the other series a little bit, seeing Chris Bosh being out. I think they see a tremendous opportunity for themselves."

Rivers denied that his team wasn't giving the proper respect to their opponent.

"Well that's not true, obviously," said Rivers. "They're a young team, they are an athletic team, and they create really tough matchups. And I think that is overlooked with this team. I think it's easier to look at the Miamis and the Oklahoma Citys, and you see the Durants and LeBrons and you see the star power. And so you immediately give that team respect. Not the players, but the media, everyone. When you don't see the All-Stars, a la the Detroit Pistons, you tend to think they aren't as good. And that isn't true."

Public perception doesn't matter in the series, but internal perception does. And after three games, it's clear that these two teams have vastly different views of themselves.

"I mean we're chasing something special," said Celtics guard Keyon Dooling, who has become the unofficial team spokesman after Pierce. "We're all extremely motivated to win. This season, with the short season, the lockout season, it was kind of a build-up process for us. The younger athletic teams started a lot faster than us. We heard the old comments. But we stayed the course."

The Sixers are younger and more athletic. They're experiencing the process for the first time, and it's begun to show. They're doing their learning on the fly, and they're going to live and die by how quickly they absorb it all.

After the game, Rondo walked through the locker room with a boom box. He didn't blare the music for long, but he made it clear that the Celtics were OK with celebrating, for a time. And then the music stopped, and Celtics players went about their business of talking to the media, packing up, and going home.

@GlobeGaryDzen

Celtics captain Paul Pierce talked about winning Game 3 over the 76ers Wednesday night in Philadelphia and said his knee felt just fine in a 24-point effort.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

PHILADELPHIA -- Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, and Paul Pierce combined for 74 points as the Celtics got out in front of the Sixers in the second quarter and ran away from them in the third, posting a 107-91 win in Game 3 at Wells Fargo Center. The Celtics now lead the best-of-seven series, 2-1.

The Celtics were down five after the first quarter but rode Garnett in the second. Garnett scored made 6 of 8 shots for 13 points in the second. Rondo had four assists in the period as the Celtics doubled-up Philadelphia, 32-16 in the quarter. The Celtics reached 60 points at halftime, a mark they did not reach until 8:36 remaining in 4th quarter in Game 2

Up by 11 points at halftime, the Celtics put on an offensive blitz in the third, putting up 29 more points to Philadelphia's 17 to lead by 23 points after three. The statement was made. The fourth quarter was nothing more than a formality.

The Celtics benefited from an aggressive philosophy, particularly from Rondo, who found lanes to drive, score, and set up his teammates. Rondo finished with 14 assists and one turnover. The Celtics also got a break for Ray Allen, playing the shooting guard just 12 minutes in the blowout.

Both teams now have one day to prepare for Game 4 here Friday night.

2:51 4th quarter, Celtics 105-86: Pierce has 24 points and 12 rebounds. Want another bonus? Ray Allen only played 12 minutes in this game.

6:10 4th quarter, Celtics 101-76: Kevin Garnett is still ballin, insane reverse alley-oop. The starters are coming out now. They've done their job.

End 3d quarter, Celtics 89-66: Boos raining down on the home team. The Celtics outscore the Sixers, 29-17, in the third quarter. That's exactly the response an experienced team makes against a young team when there's something on the line.

4:58, Celtics 80-56: Rondo drives to the hole and lays it in. He's got 23 points. The Celtics have hit seven straight shots from the field.

7:55 3d quarter, Celtics 71-51: The Celtics have been the best third-quarter team in the NBA all season, and this is why. Rondo is taking it to the basket with no resistance. The Sixers just aren't playing the same level of defense we've seen. Boston by 20.

Halftime: Celtics, 60-49: Rondo and Garnett have 17 points apiece as the Celtics have put on an offensive display. The Celtics have 60 points at halftime in Game 2; they didn't score their 60th point until 8:36 remaining in 4th quarter.

Garnett was a force in the second quarter, scoring 13 points. When Garnett isn’t scoring, the Celtics are taking the ball to the basket. Good signs all around.

5:26 2d quarter, Celtics 44-39: Celtics are getting contributions across the lineup. Brandon Bass has chipped in six points, Mickael Pietrus hit a 3-pointer, and Ray Allen is heading to the line.

8:51 2d quarter, Sixers 37-34: KG is getting great post position. That's 10 points now for him. Doug Collins must be talking in the huddle about not letting Garnett catch it so low.

Eagles QB Michael Vick in the house, loud ovation.

End 1st quarter, Sixers 33-28: Lou Williams hits a 3-pointer as time expires to put Philly up five. The Sixers come out hot, shooting 62 percent. The Celtics are at 46 percent.

Ayla Brown, sitting in front of press row, gave three fist pumps on that Williams 3-pointer.

1:32 1st quarter, Sixers 26-24: Pierce blows by Iguodala, takes it to the rack, and dunks on Lavoy Allen. Gets the and-one. Slaps the backboard in a release of emotion. Can't say anyone saw that coming.

4:03 1st quarter, Sixers 19-14: Andre Iguodala hits a 3-pointer. Paul Pierce is 0 for 6 from the floor. I even think Iguodala is taking it easy on Pierce taking so many jumpers. He should be working him on defense.

6:43 1st quarter, Celtics 12-10: Paul Pierce free throws are a good thing.

9:15 1st quarter, Sixers 5-2: Andre Iguodala clearly steps out of bounds but manages to go coast-to-coast on a steal to convert. KG gets a bucket down low early. No shoulder sleeve for Avery Bradley.

Pregame: Ready to go here at the Wells Fargo Center. We'll be watching Paul Pierce and Avery Bradley closely, as well as monitoring Kevin Garnett's touches.

Ayla Brown, Celtics anthem good luck charm from previous playoff runs, sings it for the other team. Apparently she's had a contract to do the Sixers anthems all season. Had no idea.

Let's get it.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

Celtics coach Doc Rivers is one of three NBA coaches named to the league's competition committee, along with Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle and Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins. The committee votes on potential rule changes and other competition-related matters.

Rivers said he did not lobby to be on the committee. He said he found out about it via an e-mail.

"It was pretty fun," Rivers said. "I just happened to open the e-mail. I don't even usually open my e-mail during the playoffs."

The committee used to be composed of general managers from each of the league's 30 teams. Under the new arrangement, the committee will include two owners, four general managers, three head coaches and one representative from the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).

"It's something we've all talked about they should do," Rivers said. "I'm glad they did. I think it's a good move. And I'm happy to be on it."

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

PHILADELPHIA -- Getting through the grind was the focus for both 76ers coach Doug Collins and Celtics coach Doc Rivers in their sessions with the media before the game. Both teams are banged up, but both teams list the usual players as active for Game 3. Collins stressed the importance of injured players not overexerting themselves or trying to do more than they can do.

"We can't have anybody trying to pace themselves," said Collins, who lists Elton Brand and Thaddeus Young as being banged up. "Every possession is too important. Both these games have come down to one point."

Collins also stressed that he isn't afraid to stretch his rotation.

"Anybody who thinks that I'm not going to play the guys that give me the best chance to win on any given night doesn't know me very well," Collins said. "If anybody thinks I don't play younger players, we had Lavoy Allen on the floor guarding Kevin Garnett at the end of the game."

Rivers said this morning he would try to get Paul Pierce the ball in different places. Pierce's knee injury has limited his ability to get points off the dribble. Celtics guard Avery Bradley walked through the locker room before the game with Celtics team doctor Brian McKeon, a sign that Bradley's shoulder injury will constantly be monitored.

-- There was a funny moment at the end of the Collins press conference. Collins was asked about his experience as a television analyst, when he said he used to coach both teams while calling the games.

"I was undefeated," said Collins. "I won an Emmy for that [stuff]."

By Frank Dell'apa, Globe Staff

PHILADELPHIA – The Celtics will be changing their offensive game plan to generate more opportunities for captain Paul Pierce (knee sprain) when they meet the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Wednesday night.

“Right now, he can't get away from anybody, with his leg,” coach Doc Rivers said of Pierce. “Usually we don’t have to get a body off of him, he could shake the body on his own. Now, we are going to have to use him a lot like Ray [Allen], off screens, off posts.”

Rivers, talking before the team’s morning shootaround at the Wells Fargo Center, was asked what the Celtics needed to do to recapture momentum in the series, tied, 1-1: “Win – that’s the only way to get momentum back. Not by playing close games. You have to go in and earn it. I think they played better than us in both games – we won one. We have to go out and win tonight and that will change the momentum.”

Chat with Boston.com's Gary Dzen from Philadelphia ahead of Game 3 between the Celtics and Sixers

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

PHILADELPHIA -- The location has changed, but the issues that surrounded the Celtics following their Game 2 loss in Boston continue to surround them in Philadelphia. The team had a full complement of players for shootaround this morning at the Wells Fargo Center, but Paul Pierce's knee, Ray Allen's ankle, and Avery Bradley's shoulder are not expected to heal anytime this series. It is what it is.

In terms of the building, the Sixers tweeted this morning that about 1,000 tickets remained for Game 3, and the team is expecting them to be sold by game time. With the Pacers beating the Heat last night, the Eastern Conference suddenly seems very wide open, and Philly fans would not be wrong to give their team a legitimate shot.

Here are the details for tonight's game:

Tip-off: 7 p.m.
Series: Tied at 1.
Broadcast info: TNT, WEEI/850 AM/93.7 FM (Sean Grande and Cedric Maxwell)

Probable starters:

Celtics:
PG: Rajon Rondo
SG: Avery Bradley
SF: Paul Pierce
PF: Brandon Bass
C: Kevin Garnett

Sixers:
PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Evan Turner
SF: Andre Iguodala
PF: Elton Brand
C: Spencer Hawes

Story lines:

Pierce's movement: Of the Celtics' injuries, the one to Pierce is the most concerning. Pierce was unable to beat his defender off the dribble in the first two games, taking away his crucial ability to get to the line. If Pierce is limited, the Celtics are down their most important offensive player.

Shot selection: Speaking of offense, Brandon Bass can't be Boston's leader in shot attempts. Doc Rivers said after Game 2 that the Celtics tried to get Kevin Garnett going early Monday night but were unable to. Rivers and the Celtics need to figure out how to do that earlier and more often tonight.

Matching up: Evan Turner continues to be a difficult matchup for the Celtics, who don't have a guard of his size. Jrue Holiday took advantage of Rajon Rondo a couple of times on pick-and-rolls in Game 2. The Celtics had success going small in the fourth quarter, and they undoubtedly have to do more of that.

@GlobeGaryDzen

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

Kevin Garnett scored 29 points in Game 1 vs. Philadelphia, but the Celtics didn't get him touches until late in Game 2. After the game, Garnett answered a question about his lack of involvement by saying, "I don't call the plays."

Doc Rivers does call the plays, and he was asked about Garnett's touches this morning on WEEI's Dennis and Callahan show.

"Maybe we weren't a smart team last night or a well-coached team last night," said Rivers. "It was obviously the game plan to go there. We were in transition a lot and never really got into our sets. That happens in games ... they were trapping early, which made us want to move the ball. But not move away from Kevin, and I thought that's what we did. I thought we overreacted to their traps."

The other big topic of conversation this morning concerned Paul Pierce's left knee. Pierce was clearly not himself last night, hitting 2 of 9 shots in 36 minutes. He looked unable to beat his man to the spot off the dribble like he usually does so well.

"He's not hurting himself, I guess I'll answer it that way," Rivers said. "But he's probably not healing either … Right now, we have a lot of guys that are banged up and we have to get through it. We didn't play well last night and it had nothing to do with injuries."

Game 3 is Wednesday in Philadelphia.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

The reality of the series set in Monday night when the Celtics lost Game 2. Leaving Boston with a split, the Sixers have homecourt advantage with the next two games in Philadelphia.

The debate Tuesday will focus on whether or not Philadelphia truly has a chance. It will focus on whether or not the Celtics are too banged up, and whether or not a young Sixers team can string together consecutive wins over a seasoned opponent.

The Celtics won't focus on any of that. Just as they've done after every game, the Celtics went about their business Monday night answering questions about their performance. They gave credit to their opponent and filled reporters' notebooks and iPhone voice-recording apps with cliches. It was hard to distinguish the mood of the locker room after a losing effort from the mood encountered after a winning effort Saturday night.

Paul Pierce gave a general answer about the officials: "You know that’s the name of the game sometime. You know they make a call you got to live with it.”

Rajon Rondo answered a question about the Celtics getting ahead early and giving up the lead: “Basketball is a game of rhythms, a game of runs. We made our runs, and then they made their runs.”

And Doc Rivers gave his canned line about a possible hand injury to Rondo: “There may have been; I never ask. Hell, every time I ask the trainer or doctor it’s a bad answer. I really don’t. I never even ask."

How cliche did the cliches get? At one point, Ray Allen answered a question about the bench by mentioning contributions from two guys who played a total of four seconds in the game.

"Avery [Bradley] was out and I started in the third quarter," said Allen. "That extends the bench. Marquis [Daniels] and Sasha [Pavlovic] get more playing time."

You can see what you want about the Celtics and their approach. You may take issue with their prefabricated answers, or you may want more emotion out of the team after a loss. You'd be justified in holding any of those opinions.

But the fact is, the Celtics have a proven method. They've been through this before, and they know that every game, every moment, can't be a time to vent. Sometimes you just need to put a game behind you. The Sixers seemed downright giddy after keeping it close in Game 1. Philadelphia players were riding high after Game 2. The Celtics did a good job containing their emotions after both.

There are some things the Celtics can put behind them about this game and some things they can't. The players and coach alike did a good job not distinguishing between them. The Celtics focused their postgame banter on offensive execution and stopping players like Sixers forward Lavoy Allen, but they can do something about both of those. They brushed off questions about injuries to Pierce and Bradley, and about foul calls down the stretch, but those are things they can't control.

Before the game, Rivers joked about being more like Patriots head coach Bill Belichick in his answers after using the phrase "It is what it is." After the game, Garnett ended his postgame session with reporters and walked out of the Celtics locker room, stopping to put his hand on the shamrock logo at the locker room's entrance. It's a ritual he completes after preseason games, regular season games, and playoff games. No matter the circumstances, Garnett's routine is the same.

The Celtics may be in trouble here. Or this may just be another bump on the road to a championship run. That will all be sorted out. For now, the Celtics are content to walk through it, step by step, interview by interview, and game by game. The Celtics are nothing if not methodical.

Sixers coach Doug Collins recognizes that his team needs to reach that level. Twice Monday night he called Doc Rivers the best coach in the game.

"We've stepped up in class here," said Collins. "We're playing a team that's got four guys who've been in the NBA championship, who've been in the Finals, who've been around a long while. They're a very poised team."

That poise will go a long way in determining just how long the Celtics stick around this postseason.

@GlobeGaryDzen

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

A foul call and a decision to foul were big topics of discussion after Monday night's 82-81 Sixers win over the Celtics.

Both teams got plenty of leeway from the officials during Monday night's game, but Kevin Garnett didn't get away with an illegal screen with 10 seconds left and with the Celtics down by three. Garnett set a screen to try and free Paul Pierce for a potential game-tying 3-pointer and was called for a foul by official Michael Smith.

"Mike made a great call," Garnett said after the game. "I don’t really give it up to the refs, but he thought that was a moving pick. I just thought in that situation you let the players decide the game. He felt like it was an illegal pick and that’s what it is."

The play gave the ball back to Philadelphia and pretty much ended the Celtics' hopes of winning the game.

“I wasn’t fond of [the call] at all," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "I think Kevin got three off-the-ball offensive fouls. So, clearly it looked like they were looking for it all night, and they got three of them. Listen, if you’re going to tell me that Kevin was the only one moving in picks tonight, then I’ll live with that. But he clearly was not the only one."

Another key play concerning a foul down the stretch was the Celtics' decision to foul the Sixers with Boston down one. The Sixers got the ball with 27 seconds left in the game, and the Celtics could have played it straight and hoped for one more chance or did what they did, which was to put the Sixers on the line. The Celtics had a foul to give, and they waited until there were 14 seconds remaining in the game to give their first foul and 12 seconds remaining to put Philly on the line. Evan Turner made both free throws.

"I wanted to foul two seconds earlier than that, but we didn’t," said Rivers.

Said Rajon Rondo, “Coach made the right decision. He told us to foul”.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

The Celtics came back after an extended period of terrible shooting but could not finish the deal in an 82-81 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 2.

Down three points with 10 seconds to play, Kevin Garnett was called for an illegal screen trying to free Paul Pierce up for a potential game-tying shot. The turnover gave the ball back to Philadelphia, who closed the game by making their free throws.

This was not the Garnett of Game 1 of this series or of Game 6 vs. Atlanta. Garnett had 15 points and 12 rebounds Monday night, but he was a participant in the Celtics' shooting woes as a whole. The Celtics shot 42 percent for the game. They shot 25 percent in the third quarter. In one stretch from the end of the first quarter to the end of the third quarter, the Celtics were 9 of 37 from the floor.

Garnett finished as Boston's leading scorer, while Jrue Holiday had 18 points for the Sixers.

The Celtics made their first four shots from the field to take a 9-0 lead after the jump. But points would not come as easily during the rest of the first half. After making his first two shots, Brandon Bass missed nine of his final 10 shots of the first half. The Celtics shot 25 percent in second quarter but still led, 38-36, at the break.

The Celtics don't have much time to hang their heads. Game 3 is Wednesday night in Philadelphia.

Final: Sixers 82, Celtics 81

10 seconds 4th quarter, Sixers 78-75: KG gets called for a moving screen trying to free up Pierce. Wow.

14.4 seconds 4th quarter, Sixers 76-75: Allen misses a tough fadeaway. The Celtics had a foul to give and waited to give it.

40.4 seconds 4th quarter, Sixers 76-75: Clutch 3-pointers by Bradley, Allen, and Holiday. Evan Turner puts the Sixers back up by one. Celtics ball.

3:15 4th quarter, Tied at 69: Garnett brings the house down with an alley-oop. He's spewing words unfit for human ears.

4:10 4th quarter, Tied at 65: Garnett waits for two defenders to run by and then takes advantage of the mismatch down low. Great runs by Rondo and Bradley, great patience by KG.

7:23 4th quarter, Sixers 63-61: Pierce comes back in for Pietrus. Doc Rivers going away from the hot hand to stick with his proven horses. We'll see if it works. Pierce has looked very limited.

9:06 4th quarter, Sixers 61-59: Lots just happened. Avery Bradley is back in the game with that injured left shoulder. Kevin Garnett hit just his third shot of the game and implored his teammates to get on his back, and they seem to be listening. Mickael Pietrus hit a 3-pointer on a broken play, then came down and hit another. The Celtics are in this game despite how poorly they've played.

End 3d quarter, Sixers 57-49: The Celtics typically own the third quarter, but they were owned there by Philadelphia. The Celtics managed just 11 points in the third on 4-of-17 shooting. Since the first quarter, the Celtics are 9 of 37 from the floor.

Kevin Garnett still has just four points.

2:37 3d quarter, Sixers 51-47: The Sixers are turning up the ball pressure and wreaking havoc on the Celtics. The Celtics are 4 of 14 to start the second and have seven turnovers since halftime.

6:27 3d quarter, Celtics 43-40: There's a reason they started this game at 7 p.m. Both teams will be lucky to get to 80 points tonight.

11:34 3d quarter, Celtics 40-36: Avery Bradley sits to start the second half. It's the same shoulder injury he's been dealing with. The Celtics are hoping he can come back in the fourth quarter.

Rondo drives in for the layup but lands hard on his tailbone. Gets up and shakes it off.

Halftime, Celtics 38-36: Paul Pierce seems to make about one big shot a game now. His latest puts the Celtics up at the break. He has five points.

Brandon Bass leads the Celtics with eight points, but he is just 3 for 11, continuing his poor shooting this series. Kevin Garnett has four points. The Celtics need one of their main players to step up in the second half.

On the plus side, the Celtics are holding Philadelphia to 37-percent shooting.

2:56 2d quarter, Celtics 35-33: Ryan Hollins just took his second charge of the game, this one on Andre Iguodala. He'll earn a lot more playing time if he keeps that up.

4:31 2d quarter. Celtics 33-29: Avery Bradley is headed back to the locker room. Looks like he tweaked that left shoulder.

6:08 2d quarter, Celtics 33-29: Rondo fires up the crowd with an alley-oop to Ryan Hollins. You could see the play developing from Rondo's perspective, but it still took a special play by Hollins to convert.

8:37 2d quarter, Tied at 27: Mickael Pietrus has no filter of late. He's taking bad shots and missing them. They're great when they go in, but they're not falling right now. He needs to be more selective.

End 1st quarter, Celtics 25-21: Why is the play at the end of every first quarter a 3-pointer by Rondo? For a guy so good at passing (6 assists in the first), Rondo seems hell bent at taking a bad three to end the first every game.

The Celtics survived that stretch without Garnett and still have the lead. That's a good thing.

2:50 1st quarter, Celtics 19-15: Garnett came out after six minutes, replaced by Greg Stiemsma. Maybe Doc wants KG to be fresh enough to play the entire second half.

5:08 1st quarter, Celtics 15-13: A quick hook for Evan Turner after that poor start. Instant offense Lou Wiliams into the game for Philly. Jrue Holiday has stepped up with eight points as the Celtics have cooled to 7 of 14.

9:44 1st quarter, Celtics 9-0: Well that's certainly a better start. The Celtics are 4 of 4 from the field, including two shots from Brandon Bass, who's been struggling.

Pregame: Doug Collins wants to let Kevin Garnett shoot jumpers rather than let KG get going in the paint. Doc Rivers likes Rajon Rondo "on random."
Celtics look for a 2-0 lead.

Let's get it.

@GlobeGaryDzen

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

Kevin Garnett had 29 points in Game 1, many of them on jump shots, but Sixers coach Doug Collins said his team would continue to dare Garnett to shoot from long distance.

"You're not going to stop Kevin Garnett," said Collins. "Right now he's a seven-footer that's floating out on the perimeter and shooting about 60 percent on jump shots. What you'd like to do is protect the paint ... if we can keep him out of the paint and let him continue to take jump shots, hopefully he's not going to shoot as well as he did before ... Kevin's playing as well as I've seen him play in a long, long time."

Collins called the Celtics the most efficient offensive team in the league.

-- Celtics coach Doc Rivers said all of his players were OK to go tonight. Avery Bradley shot around before the game with a sleeve on his left shoulder, which he's also been wearing in the games.

Rivers said he hopes his team starts better than it did in Game 1 Saturday. He said there's always a balance between scripting out the first plays of the game and letting the game play out.

"I try to figure it out every night," said Rivers. "I kind of let Rondo -- we need him to just go play. We need him in random. As much as any guard probably in the league, he needs to be in random at times."

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

Get used to the every-other-day schedule of this series for a bit. The Celtics and Sixers have games tonight, Wednesday, and Friday. It's something Doc Rivers said he wasn't thrilled about when the schedule was announced. All 15 Celtics players participated in shootaround this morning, and no one is expected to miss any games because of the schedule, but there's not much time for rest, either.

The Celtics closed well Saturday night, but Philadelphia players seemed happy just to hang with the Celtics on the road in Game 1. They'll be thrilled if they can steal one tonight and head back home for Games 3 and 4.

Here are the details for tonight's game:

Tip-off: 7 p.m.
Series: Celtics lead, 1-0.
Broadcast info: TNT/CSNNE, WEEI/850 AM/93.7 FM (Sean Grande and Cedric Maxwell)

Probable starters:

Celtics:
PG: Rajon Rondo
SG: Avery Bradley
SF: Paul Pierce
PF: Brandon Bass
C: Kevin Garnett

Sixers:
PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Evan Turner
SF: Andre Iguodala
PF: Elton Brand
C: Spencer Hawes

Story lines:

KG's dominance: Kevin Garnett set a season-high in points with 29 on Saturday, following up his 28-point performance in Game 6 vs. Atlanta. Garnett is playing his best basketball of the season and some of the best basketball since he came to the Celtics. Can he dominate again?

First half: The Celtics are almost Belichickian in making second-half adjustments, but let's see if they can start the game out a little better this evening. Rajon Rondo in particular needs to be on his game from the start; he had 11 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds after halftime in Game 1. That's remarkable, but he doesn't have to be such a hero if he's on his game from the jump.

Paul Pierce: Pierce was 3 of 11 in Game 1. Remember how he followed up a poor shooting performance in Game 1 vs. the Hawks with 36 points in Game 2? The big Paul Pierce game is coming, probably sooner rather than later.

Energy play: A bonus key here is the Celtics matching the energy of players like Philadelphia's Lavoy Allen, who has 12 points and 6 rebounds off the bench in Game 1. Brandon Bass had 10 points and 4 rebounds in a starting role. Bass needs to be better than Allen, and better overall.

@GlobeGaryDzen

The Boston Celtics came back to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 92-91 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Globe's Dan Shaughnessy and Philadelphia Daily News' Bob Cooney provide their analysis of the game.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

Paul Pierce waited and waited to make an impact in the fourth quarter of Saturday night's 92-91 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Kevin Garnett was a man possessed. Rajon Rondo was turning in another triple-double. Pierce was 2 of 10 from the floor, and he was a forgotten man.

The smart play -- heck the only play -- was to go to Garnett. But there was Pierce, with 1:18 remaining in the game, stepping up and making a step-back jumper that should have a patent number. Pierce buried the shot to put the Celtics up, 90-84, It was his only field goal of the fourth quarter. And it was so familiar, so comfortable, that it blended into the larger narrative.

There were other clutch plays, too. Rondo was 3 for 6 in the fourth quarter, taking the dare on a couple of jump shots the Celtics ended up needing. Garnett kept stepping up and nailing his 18-footers. And the game's final play, when Rondo dribbled out the clock, was executed perfectly by an experienced team.

Experience was supposed to win out over youth and athleticism against Philadelphia, but that storyline manifested itself more strongly than could have been predicted in Game 1. The Celtics dug a hole for themselves in the first half and failed to pull themselves out of it by the end of the third quarter, trailing, 71-67, after three.

Before the game, Sixers coach Doug Collins talked about his team learning on the fly. Philadelphia went toe-to-toe with the No. 1-seeded Chicago Bulls and come out winners. The Bulls lost their best player and starting center, but the Sixers learned something about closing.

"My young guys are growing," said Collins. "You can't fake the experience that you get. The best way to evaluate players is in the playoffs."

Doc Rivers has been evaluating his team since April, 2008, when these Celtics began their first playoff run together. Pierce, Garnett, and Ray Allen had never won a championship at that point. Rondo was a second-year player who hadn't proven anything.

The Celtics won the championship that season, overachieving in the first year of what was thought to be a three-year window. A lot has happened since. The Celtics went to seven games with the Lakers during the 2010 Finals. They've made the second round of the playoffs every season since Garnett and Allen came to Boston.

Saturday night, their mettle was tested. The Celtics came out flat and were down, 45-32, in the second quarter. Their play was so uninspiring that the shouting of Rivers could be heard in the ninth floor press box, a sign that the fans in the building were as deflated as the team.

The Celtics fought back before halftime, and they fought back in the third quarter to trail by just four points entering the fourth. There was no panic.

"To be honest, I didn’t even know what we were down," said Garnett. "I don’t even look at the score. No disrespect for the game or anything like that, I go off the crowd, I go off the adrenaline, the emotion. For the most part I like the feel of the game. I really feel like we have better basketball in us."

Better basketball didn't come until it had to. The Celtics were down six with 8:33 left when championship mode kicked in. Garnett had ninee points in the fourth quarter. Rondo scored or assisted on 11 of the Celtics final 14 baskets. He had 11 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds after halftime.

"They did a really good job managing the end of the game there," said Philadelphia coach Doug Collins. "Garnett, I’ve never seen him play better. Rondo was spectacular. And when all is said and done, you know, we had a great chance to get this game."

The Celtics didn't let that happen. Garnett is playing out of his mind. At one point in the third quarter, he blocked a shot attempt by Spencer Hawes and then sprinted up the court, beating almost everyone else down the floor despite exerting so much effort on defense. Rondo obviously did his best work in the second half, and Pierce found a way to contribute despite a rough shooting night. Avery Bradley contributed great defense, blocking a layup attempt by Lou Williams on a superb individual effort.

Philadelphia is younger, and they will present a difficult series. But the Celtics know how to win, and experience wins games in the playoffs. During the regular season it's called old age. This time of year, it's called being clutch. It's what the Celtics do best.

@GlobeGaryDzen