Why Game 3 Loss Could Be Especially Demoralizing For Celtics

The Boston Celtics have added a slight speed bump on their road toward repeating as Eastern Conference champions.

In losing Game 3 to the Atlanta Hawks, the Celtics ensured they would not complete a second consecutive four-game sweep in the first round of the NBA postseason. Instead, they’ve now guaranteed that the series goes at least five games and returns to Boston following Game 4 on the road. At first glance, the loss seems like an inconvenient but otherwise inconsequential one for Boston.

That was until Saturday.

The Philadelphia 76ers completed a four-game sweep of the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday afternoon, staking their claim in second round of the NBA playoffs. Their opponent? The winner of the Celtics-Hawks series that we now know will last until at least Tuesday.

No big deal, right? Wrong.

“Doc Rivers said he is unsure of whether Joel Embiid will be ready for the start of the Eastern Conference semifinals,” Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweeted Saturday. “Then said he felt it was ‘probably 50 percent, at best.’ “

Oh?

In allowing the Hawks to secure a victory Friday, the Celtics not only added another game to their schedule but have now pushed back the start of a potential second-round series with the 76ers. That not only gives Embiid more time to rest up his sore right knee, but will also add another 48 minutes (at least) worth of work onto Boston’s plate as it prepares for what could be a trying run through the Eastern Conference.

Embiid, who is likely going to take home the 2023 NBA MVP award, has been masterful this season. The 29-year-old averaged a career high in points (33.1) and assists (4.2), while putting together respectable rebound (10.2) and block (1.7) numbers on his way to a sixth-consecutive All-Star appearance. The star has been the heart and soul of Philadelphia’s run this far, meaning a potential absence could prove deadly to the Sixers.

The Celtics may have ensured that there is no absence, however, as one more loss could delay the start of the second-round series just enough to help him recuperate. Boston didn’t exactly play with its food, but may see a “meaningless” loss turn into something much more down the road.