BOSTON — The Boston Celtics weren't exactly left scratching their heads following a 111-97 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night at TD Garden. They knew when they dropped Game 2 of the first-round playoff series.
In the second quarter, the C's allowed 37 points and the Sixers connected on 8 of their 11 shots from beyond the arc in that span. Conversely, the Celtics scored 26 points and hit just 1 of their 8 attempts from 3-point land while shooting a mediocre 42 percent from the floor. Those 37 points were the most the Celtics have let up in a single quarter in the playoffs since Game 6 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Semifinals, in which the Green Team fell 119-81 to the New York Knicks after surrendering a 38-point second quarter.
Neemias Queta maintained that the Celtics will watch film and look at what went wrong:“We’ll be better next game and bounce back.” pic.twitter.com/w3V5UXiz1u
"I think in the second quarter everything went wrong," Celtics center Neemias Queta admitted inside an almost empty locker room. "Allowing 37 points in a quarter in the playoffs — that's your death sentence. So, we should be a lot better."
Although Queta said that he couldn't expand on the specific issues that plagued the Celtics without watching film first, he did mention a few vague areas where they struggled.
"Right now, we can pinpoint rebounding," he stated. "We can pinpoint their ability to get downhill, make layups, shoot 3s."
Shooting was the most apparent difference, as the Sixers cashed 19 triples in Game 2 and shot nearly 50 percent from downtown. During the Celtics' blowout win in Game 1, the 76ers only made 4 triples to their opponent's 16.
Jayson Tatum on the Celtics giving up 37 points in the second quarter:“Doing that in a playoff game is tough. It's not a recipe for a win.”He then complimented the Sixers:“You got to give them credit, they played better.” pic.twitter.com/KCqDe6nHmN
As for Queta specifically, the starting center finished with 8 points and 6 rebounds in almost 28 minutes of play. Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were the only Celtics to end up in double figures on Tuesday night — a disappointing evening that reminded Boston its status as the second seed is now largely irrelevant.
"They're a great team, we respect them," Queta said of the Sixers. "They'll put up a fight if we're not at our best. So, the point is to get out there and be at our best."
The Celtics will have a chance at bouncing back in Philly on Friday night when they take on the rival Sixers at Xfinity Mobile Arena for Game 3.
"0-0," Queta replied when asked what mindset was required in order to move on from Game 2.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Neemias Queta explains when it all went wrong for Celtics in Game 2