Jayson Tatum Reacts to Celtics' Game 5 Shooting Woes Against 76ers

The Boston Celtics suffered a shooting collapse in Tuesday night’s Game 5, falling to the visiting Philadelphia 76ers, 113-97 at TD Garden.

While they shot 40 percent for the game, much of the focus is on the final stretch. The Celtics missed 14 consecutive field goals, certainly not a recipe to win a close-out game.

Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 46 points on 17-for-42 shooting while their fellow starters had just 20 points. Payton Pritchard, who scored 32 points in Game 4, contributed only 12 off the bench.

Meanwhile, the visitors shot 50 percent overall, including 33 points from big man Joel Embiid, and 25 points from guard Tyrese Maxey. That saved their season and sent the series back to Philly for Game 6.

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While Tatum led his team in scoring, he admitted after the game that his team’s shooting performance hurt their chances, though he didn’t seem fazed.

“First of all, give them credit; they played well. Few looks that we got that we felt good about, that we just didn’t make. Sometimes that happens. It’s just tough. When you’re not scoring the way you want to, it puts a lot of pressure on your defense,” he told reporters.

Tatum also admitted a “human element” plays a part in nights like Tuesdays, admitting they’re “not perfect” at all times on the court.

“After each game, a win or a loss, there’s a lot of things that we look back on and talk about that we could be better at, and tonight’s no different,” Tatum said.

His teammate, Pritchard, called the team “lackadaisical” and said they were unable to put away the 76ers when they had opportunities. They’ll now have another opportunity to put them away, but it will be on the road in front of a hostile 76ers crowd looking for their team to tie the series.

Aside from Boston’s shooting, Philadelphia played impressively on the road to save its season, thanks to Embiid’s dominance, contributions from Paul George and Quentin Grimes, and defense that harassed the Celtics.

The Eastern Conference side of the NBA Playoffs bracket has certainly offered a lot of intrigue, as the Orlando Magic and the No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons are locked in a tight series, and now the No. 7 seed 76ers could force a seventh game against the No. 2 seed Celtics.

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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 8:04 AM.