Philadelphia 82, Boston 75

[recap] [box score]

Atrocious. Simply atrocious.

There's really no other way to describe the Celtics' performance in Game 6 Wednesday night. They were out of synch almost from the tip, looking for long stretches like a group of guys who had never actually played together before. The effort was there, but that's something you should be able to take for granted in a closeout playoff game. It takes more than effort to win a playoff series, and the Celtics simply didn't bring it.

These things happen, I suppose, though perhaps not often as wholly as they did Wednesday night. The most frustrating thing is that Philly didn't play all that well, either. With just a modicum of offensive execution, the Celtics could be getting some much-needed rest in front of the TV, hoping Indiana and Miami go the distance. Instead, they'll be preparing for Game 7 in a series they have to feel they should have won by now.

I'm not sure I've ever experienced a game quite like this, to be honest. You know how there are some games where one team is playing poorly but still hanging within a few points, and the fans of the team that's winning are nervous because they know they should be up more, while the team that's losing actually feels pretty good? This game was like that, only the feeling switched from quarter to quarter. The Sixers led by three points after the first period, and I felt good: Ray Allen had picked up a couple early fouls, we hadn't really made anything, and Philly hadn't been able to build any sort of lead. But by the time Mickael Pietrus' corner three-pointer gave Boston a 36-33 (yes, you read that right) lead at halftime, I had flip-flopped. Philly had been so bad in the second quarter that it felt like Boston had lost a big opportunity by not running them out of the place.

After the third quarter, which ended with Philadelphia up 60-56, I was back to feeling cautiously optimistic. Boston was still playing horribly and Philly had started to heat up a bit, and yet the game was still there for the taking. Moreover, Boston was doing the little things -- like making free throws and getting offensive rebounds -- that often decide who wins ugly games like this one. I can't say I was sure that Boston was going to come back and win, but I felt okay, all things considered.

Alas, it didn't happen. After making their first 17 free throws, Boston missed three in a row to start the fourth, while Philadelphia found a little bit of a rhythm offensively. There were opportunities to close the gap, but the Celtics simply could not find any sort of cohesiveness on offense, and Philly's small lineup started to give Boston the same problems it did in Game 4. The final margin reflects neither how easily the Celtics could have won this game nor how poorly they played.

There's really not much to analyze in terms of Xs and Os, simply because Boston's offense was so unrecognizable. I will say that I think the Celtics really missed Avery Bradley in this one. Philly did a lot of doubling, both in the post and on the perimeter, and, as Doc pointed out in the post-game presser, our spacing was horrendous. Bradley is excellent at moving without the ball, and I think his presence would have resulted in a few easy layups; at the very least, it would have relieved some of the pressure on the offense. Defensively, we had some trouble guarding the pick-and-roll, but that's a relatively easy fix. I'm not going to get on Doc for the small lineup that I hated in Game 4 and that he rolled out again in the quarter of this one -- at that point, he had to try anything to try and steal this win.

Two days of rest before Game 7 on Saturday, and Boston definitely needs them. Ideally, the extra day will give Bradley's shoulders enough time to recover that he can give us something. At a minimum, though, it should give Rajon Rondo (43 minutes), Paul Pierce (42), and Kevin Garnett (41) time to re-charge. I'm sure there will be plenty of hysteria between now and then, but remember that the last time they had two days off with questions swirling, they won Game 5 comfortably. Here's hoping history repeats itself.

(Thursday morning update: Various outlets were reporting late last night that Bradley will be shut down for the rest of the season. It's a blow for Game 7, but the implications are even greater for a potential conference final matchup with Miami.)