Our Philadelphia 76ers blew a 26-Point lead in an absolutely brutal collapse vs. Boston Celtics on Sunday Night

The Philadelphia 76ers had this one in the bag—until they didn’t. Up 26 points against the Boston Celtics on Sunday night, the Sixers completely fell apart in the fourth quarter, watching Jayson Tatum take over and their offense grind to a halt in an infuriating 118-110 loss.

Tyrese Maxey did everything he could, dropping 34 points in yet another absurd solo effort, but it wasn’t enough to hold off Boston’s late charge.

Tyrese Maxey’s Unreal Run Continues

At this point, it doesn’t matter who is on the floor with Maxey—he’s torching defenses no matter what. Just look at the starting lineup from Sunday: Maxey, Ricky Council IV, Kelly Oubre Jr., KJ Edwards, and Guerschon Yabusele. You should be able to ignore 2.5 guys in that group, yet Maxey still put the Celtics in a blender.

You can see it in his confidence right now—he’s hitting shots and running back on defense before they even hit the net. The Celtics gave him way too much space early, and he made them pay.

Rese nails his 4th three of the night! pic.twitter.com/rFofpiiMPC

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 2, 2025

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Beyond the scoring, what really stands out is how he’s weaponizing his speed. Maxey isn’t just going 100 mph all the time—he’s mixing in pace changes, keeping defenders guessing, and finding new ways to explode past his man.

Even Derrick White—one of the best perimeter defenders in the league—couldn’t keep up. Maxey ended the night with 34 points, three rebounds, and six assists in the losing effort.

.@TyreseMaxey's 5th consecutive game with 3️⃣0️⃣+ points. pic.twitter.com/hXBYP9uRlx

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 3, 2025

The 76ers Embarrassing Collapse…

The Sixers had this game under control for almost three quarters, but as soon as Maxey checked out late in the third, things started to unravel.

Boston kept chipping away, and the Sixers had no answer defensively:

• Man defense? Cooked.
• Zone? Even worse.
• Box-and-one? Disaster.

Boston hunted threes and forced Philly into impossible decisions—do you commit to stopping Porzingis inside, or do you leave shooters wide open? The Sixers had no good choices, and Nick Nurse’s rotations didn’t help matters.

Meanwhile, the offense completely died. The Sixers walked the ball up the floor, played slow, and let Boston dictate the tempo. Even when Maxey returned, the Celtics denied him touches, forcing him into tough drives instead of clean looks.

Sorry, but we’re getting way too much Kelly Oubre Jr these days

Trust me, I know we’re shorthanded and some guys need to step up but Kelly Oubre Jr. needs to relax a little bit. Oubre took over the offense in the worst way possible down the stretch. While Maxey struggled to get the ball, Oubre was barreling into traffic and missing four critical free throws. He’s a fine complementary piece, but when he’s your go-to guy in the fourth quarter of a tight game, you’re in trouble.

Bright Spots: Ricky Council IV & Guerschon Yabusele

Ricky Council IV had one of his best games as a Sixer, making smart reads, moving the ball well, and attacking with control. If he can consistently fill up the box score in different ways, he’s going to stick in this rotation.

Guerschon Yabusele continues to be a force offensively, cutting, passing, and finishing above the rim. His NBA return has been a revelation, and it’s no surprise that teams are calling about him before the trade deadline.

https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1886211637419692504

RICKY CLIMBS THE LADDER. pic.twitter.com/TZRuJtrqNh

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 3, 2025

Nick Nurse Challange: Real Bad

In what might have been one of the most pointless challenges of the season, Nurse burned his only challenge on a Kyle Lowry foul in the second quarter—while the Sixers were already up big.

Naturally, when a real challenge opportunity came late in the game, Philly was out of luck, while Boston successfully overturned a key call during their comeback.

This is a brutal, inexcusable loss. The 76ers had every excuse to fold given their injury situation, but to dominate for three quarters and then blow it like this? Unacceptable.

And for the love of everything holy, make your damn free throws.

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