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BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 29: Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla talks with reporters during Boston Celtics media day at the Auerbach Center on September 29, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

The Boston Celtics held a 3-1 series lead five days ago. The Eastern Conference semifinals were one win away. Philadelphia looked like a team running out of answers.

That version of this series feels distant now.

Back-to-back losses have put everything at stake. Game 7 is Saturday night at TD Garden, and the questions surrounding Joe Mazzulla are louder than they have been all season. Does he stay the course with what has not worked, or does he change direction before it is too late?

Mazzulla’s Decisions Are Under the Microscope

Two of Mazzulla’s postgame comments captured exactly where the tension lies heading into Saturday.

On why he has not adjusted away from his big lineup despite the struggles: “Just felt like having a five out there has given us the best chance throughout. With the screening and rebounding. Neemi had 11 rebounds tonight. So, I think they are playing their size and we just kinda like what those five’s are giving us.”

The reasoning has merit on paper. Neemias Queta has been active on the glass, and the screening element matters. But the results over the last two games have not supported it. Philadelphia has built its identity around Joel Embiid’s physicality, and Boston’s current rotation has struggled to find a consistent answer.

On pulling his starters with 10 minutes remaining and the bench guys making an impact: “Wanted to give the game a different feel. I mean, all year we’ve had 14-15 guys be able to impact winning. Just wanted to give the game a different look.”

That bench unit delivered. They came out with energy and purpose, trimmed the deficit, and played with an urgency the starters had not shown.

It raised a fair question heading into Game 7: if those players can change the feel of a game, why are they waiting until the final minutes to do it?

GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – APRIL 30: Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics looks on during the first half of a game against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game Six of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 30, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Mazzulla Should Trust His Bench Depth

Mazzulla has leaned on his bench all season. That depth has been one of Boston’s defining strengths. In the playoffs, rotations naturally tighten. But Games 5 and 6 suggest Boston has trimmed too far.

Ron Harper Jr. brings defensive energy and athleticism that could disrupt Philadelphia’s rhythm in ways the current rotation has not. Baylor Scheierman offers shooting and off-ball movement, exactly the kind of element that breaks down what Nurse has deployed. Hugo Gonzalez brings hustle and purpose and has shown he can contribute when given the opportunity. All three have the ability to knock down timely shots.

Sam Hauser has been below his best in this series. If he cannot find his shot in Game 7, Mazzulla has options. Boston does not need to wait until the game is out of hand to use them.

GettyBOSTON, MA – APRIL 12: Baylor Scheierman #55 and Ron Harper Jr. #13 of the Boston Celtics celebrate during the second half of a 113-108 win over the Orlando Magic at TD Garden on April 12, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

Celtics Could Flip the Script With Small Ball

Queta has been in foul trouble throughout this series. Nikola Vucevic has not provided what Boston needs. Joel Embiid, meanwhile, has scored 25 two-point field goals over the last three games alone. Trying to match Philadelphia’s size and physicality has not worked.

The alternative is to flip the script entirely. Playing Jayson Tatum at the five in small-ball lineups would allow Boston to put five shooters on the floor simultaneously, forcing Philadelphia to defend in space rather than letting Embiid operate in the paint at his own pace. It changes the game’s texture entirely.

Jordan Walsh has brought defensive energy in his limited minutes and fits naturally into a smaller, more athletic lineup. Luka Garza has shown more consistent interior engagement than Vucevic at this stage of the series and gives Mazzulla another credible option if he wants to keep size without sacrificing production.

The Celtics cannot keep doing the same thing and expect a different result. Going small gives Philadelphia a problem it has not had to solve in this series.

GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – APRIL 26: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics celebrates a three-pointer during the second half of game four of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 26, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

The Identity Boston Needs to Restore

Over the last two games, Boston’s offense has devolved into a pattern where possessions die in the hands of one player rather than moving through the system Boston spent a season building.

Nick Nurse has built a defensive scheme that forces exactly that, taking away passing angles and daring the Celtics to beat him with individual talent alone. For two straight games, it has worked.

Boston’s best basketball this season came when the ball moved, when players cut with purpose, and when no single possession depended on one player creating. That style made the Celtics one of the most difficult teams in the league to defend. It has been largely absent since Game 4.

The moment Boston starts making the extra pass, Nurse’s scheme becomes far less effective. That team won 56 games. It is still capable of winning one more.

GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – APRIL 26: Jayson Tatum #0 celebrates a basket with Jaylen Brown #7 and Sam Hauser #30 of the Boston Celtics during the second half of game four of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 26, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Final Word for the Celtics

Game 7 is Saturday night at TD Garden. Home crowd. Everything on the line. This core has been in deciding games before and knows what they demand.

The last two games exposed real problems. The shooting dried up. The offense stagnated. Nurse found answers that Mazzulla has not yet countered. That changes now or the season ends.

This is the same coach who guided a gap-year Celtics roster to the second seed in the East this season. The same coach that led the 2024 NBA championship team. He has been in pressure situations before and found answers. The players capable of changing this series are on the roster. The blueprint exists.

Saturday night is the moment to prove it.