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After erasing a 16-point deficit to force overtime, the Boston Celtics were in position to either defeat the Philadelphia 76ers to take a 3-1 series lead, or at the very least head into a second overtime, in Game 4 Sunday afternoon. 

But then, in an instant, Jaylen Brown committed what proved to be a catastrophic error, leaving James Harden wide open in the corner for a potential game-winning 3-pointer with under 20 seconds to play. Harden, who finished with 42 points, took advantage, sinking the three that wound up sinking Boston. 

You'll often hear coaches talking about "time and score." Down the stretch of games, you have to play with these two factors in the front of your mind. With 20 seconds and change on the clock and a two-point lead, the only thing that could beat the Celtics was a 3-pointer. For Brown to leave Harden to come double team Joel Embiid, who only possessed the power to tie the game from the post, was just an inexplicable error in judgment at the worst possible time, and he owned his mistake afterward. 

"Just a bad read. That's it," Brown told reporters. "It's a gamble at the wrong time. Big shot by James Harden but that's my fault. I take full accountability."

Brown is right. This was not the time to gamble. He came for Embiid when the big man had his back turned perhaps thinking he could disrupt Embiid enough to cause a turnover or an errant shot, ending the game in that moment. But the risk of leaving an open shooter in the strong side corner, a cardinal sin at pretty much any point in any game unless it's a bad shooter you are inviting to fire away, was just too high. 

Again, Embiid can only tie the game from that spot. Worst-case scenario, Embiid scores a bucket, and the Celtics still have 19 seconds to work with to get their own shot at a game-winner. Going to a second OT is the worst outcome if Boston plays it right. But Brown played it wrong, and he brought losing into play. And it bit him. Now the Celtics are in a dogfight, tied 2-2 with the series headed back to Boston for Game 5 on Tuesday.