PHILADELPHIA — Game 6 was there for the Philadelphia 76ers to take. They crumbled under the spotlight, losing to the Boston Celtics in what could have been a series-clinching win. Joel Embiid and the Sixers will have to return to Boston for the chance to clinch a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Despite a rancid start to the game, the Sixers led by five late in the third quarter and by two with under six minutes to play. Then their offense unraveled after missing good look after good look. Embiid didn't do nearly enough to get his team back into it. After the loss, be broke down what happened down the stretch.

“I think it was three things,” Embiid said when asked why the Sixers' offense went kaput in the fourth quarter. “We had a lot of wide-open shots, we didn't make them. We stopped moving the ball. And I don't think I touched the ball the last four minutes of the game.”

Embiid's last shot came with 3:56 left in the game. From there, a free throw from Tyrese Maxey was the only point the Sixers added to the scoreboard before throwing in the towel. Boston's bigger lineup played a part in cutting off Embiid's room to work but there was also plenty of self-sabotage from the Philly side.

“I think the whole game, I don't think we trusted very well,” Rivers said. “It’s a make-miss league and they were 15-35 from the three were 8-34. I would say we had a lot of wide-open threes. We didn't make them. I didn't like how we played overall offensively, though. Down the stretch, gotta play through your big fella more. Didn't think the ball went there.”

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James Harden doesn't exactly see it the way Rivers does. “There was some trust,” he said adamantly. “We just didn't make shots. We make a couple shots, we celebrate, it's a different ballgame.” Whether there was or was not trust, the misses on open shots were undeniable and cannot happen again for Philly to advance.

The Sixers' offense looked incredible in Game 6 but failed to adjust to the Celtics' insertion of Robert Williams into the starting lineup. Embiid is confident heading into Game 7 — but it will obviously take way more than that to pull off the road win.