We spent all summer discussing how, with tempered expectations following a roster overhaul , it would be nice to enjoy a Boston Celtics season in which every loss didn’t feel particularly soul-crushing.

That lasted all of 48 minutes.

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The new-look Celtics triggered some old fourth-quarter PTSD during their 2025-26 season opener on Wednesday night, fumbling away a 13-point lead as the visiting Sixers scored a ghastly 42 fourth-quarter points to escape TD Garden with a 117-116 triumph .

Boston’s janky final possessions -- and general late-game unsteadiness -- underscored what we already knew: This team is very much a work in progress. The term “Growing Pains” got thrown around so often in our postgame breakdown

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