The Celtics’ (5-7) comeback effort fell just short Tuesday night, as they dropped a 102–100 heartbreaker to the 76ers (7-4) In Philadelphia. Despite rallying from a double-digit halftime deficit, Boston couldn’t hold on late.

The Celtics couldn’t buy a bucket early, hitting only 28% of their shots from the field, going a frigid 19% from three in the first half. Still, they managed to stay within striking distance thanks to strong rebounding and careful ball handling. And in a trend we’ve seen develop in recent days, Boston’s bench provided a major spark, scoring 25 of the team’s 41 first-half points to keep the gap to 10 at the break.

After halftime, Boston took advantage of a weakness the 76ers have displayed all season - sluggish third quarters. The Celtics erupted for 36 points in the period while limiting Philadelphia to 20, surging ahead for the first time all game. From there, the two sides traded leads until the final seconds, when Kelly Oubre Jr. grabbed an offensive rebound and converted a put-back layup with 8.7 seconds remaining, sealing the win for the Sixers.

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 24 points and 6 rebounds after a slow start, while Derrick White chipped in 18 points and 7 assists. Tyrese Maxey paced Philadelphia with 21 points while struggling with efficiency, shooting just 5 for 17. Rookie forward Justin Edwards caught fire, adding 22 points on 8 of 9 shooting to bolster the Sixers’ offense.

Here’s four takeaways from another frustrating loss for the Celtics:

1. Another Close Call

Boston’s season continues to be defined by tight finishes.

This marked their seventh “clutch” game - defined as one decided by five points or fewer in the final minutes - and they now sit at 2–5 in such contests.

Though it’s early, late-game execution remains a concern for a team with playoff aspirations.

…you think this team is missing Jayson Tatum right now?

And if we’re being honest, this is a bad look for Brown. While having some clutch moments at times in his career (we all remember the Indy shot), his season as the lead man is going to be one we scrutinize heavily to determine his effectiveness as a true No. 1 moving forward. And true No. 1s help their teams close out wins.

2. Winning the Glass, Losing the Game

With Sixers starting center Joel Embiid out with right knee soreness, the Celtics dominated the rebounding battle, 62–50, including a 13 to 8 edge on the offensive boards.

They turned those second chances into a 12-8 advantage in second-chance points.

Yet the decisive play came on the glass, as Oubre’s late offensive rebound ultimately cost Boston the game - a cruel twist given their success in that area all night.

For a night, rebounding wasn’t an issue. But for a moment, it was a reminder that it’s going to be a problem all season long.

3. Walsh-aissance

I’ve already written my mea culpa on this take, so I won’t go too far into it. But man, was I wrong about Jordan freaking Walsh.

He continues to earn his minutes with defense and energy. Playing a career-high 29 minutes, Walsh posted 8 points and 7 rebounds following up a strong showing against Orlando on Sunday. He started the second half for Josh Minott and even logged crunch-time minutes, holding his own against Maxey.

The 20-year-old’s poise and defensive intensity suggest he’s carving out a real role in Joe Mazzulla’s rotation.

Again - I’m happy to be wrong!

4. Keeping Maxey in Check

Another thing I was wrong about before this one - I thought Maxey was going to go off, and I said as much in the betting preview comments.The All-Star guard entered the night averaging 33.2 points per game, but never found his rhythm against Boston. He finished with 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists, shooting only 29% from the field.Fellow guard VJ Edgecombe also struggled, scoring just 6 points on 2 of 11 shooting - a far cry from his 34-point explosion against the Celtics on opening night.

Despite blowing the game, Boston should be proud of the way they defended this pair of talented shooters. I know the record looks bad right now, but defense like this against bad teams in the coming weeks is going to help the Celtics start stacking wins.

Up next for Boston - Memphis Grizzlies head to Boston for the second night of a back-to-back for the Celtics.

Tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. ET.

Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI