Kendrick Perkins Rips Joe Mazzulla During Celtics-76ers Game 1

Kendrick Perkins was baffled by the Celtics’ defensive strategy Monday night at TD Garden.

With Joel Embiid out of action, the 76ers leaned on their second-best player for Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Celtics. And James Harden rose to the occasion, dropping a game-high 45 points in Philadelphia’s 119-115 win over Boston.

Throughout Harden’s vintage performance, the Celtics largely elected not to double-team the 2018 NBA MVP. Former Boston big man and current league analyst Kendrick Perkins couldn’t wrap his head around this decision.

“Joe Mazzulla sitting over there like a damn statue watching Harden COOK people 1 on 1 is beyond me,” Perkins tweeted. “I mean at what point do you send a damn double team at him?! SMH.”

Perkins also was floored by Mazzulla’s analysis of Harden’s game-winning 3-pointer right in the face of 36-year-old big man Al Horford. The Celtics head coach simply credited Harden for knocking down a “big shot” rather than second-guessing his game plan for the contest’s biggest moment.

Time will tell what changes Mazzulla makes for Wednesday night’s Game 2 in Boston. If the 34-year-old once again is significantly outcoached by Doc Rivers, the Celtics could be in a world of hurt by the time the best-of-seven series shifts to Philadelphia.