Will the Sixers recover from such disappointment? At the gates of a qualification for the conference finals in a tight end to the game, Joel Embiid’s teammates saw Jayson Tatum grilling their politeness at the very end of the game to save the skin of the Celtics and snatch a Game 7.
As Doc Rivers feared, the Celtics started the meeting with a knife between their teeth in order to quickly calm the atmosphere. And as the Philadelphia technician had anticipated, the C’s found their outside address to start the game with a bang from afar, at 9/13 from 3-pointers to bring the score to 40-26.
A nice downpour that dampened the ambient euphoria, despite James Harden’s big dunk to try to revive his team (34-46). Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid, however, managed to keep the locals alive at the break by finishing the second act with a 9-2 concluded by Maxey at 3-points (43-50).
On the lookout for the slightest spark, the Wells Fargo Center was quick to ignite when PJ Tucker quickly brought Philly down to -4 on a 3-pointer from the corner served by Joel Embiid (48-52).
Jayson Tatum saves the best for last
The Maxey-Harden-Embiid trio got back on track, and Georges Niang in turn sanctioned the Celtics defense from the corner, on a ball this time well cleared by James Harden (60-62). Harden and Embiid then put the Sixers in the lead from the free throw line to complete a 14-2 (64-62). The start of another match, in which Philadelphia this time played with their feet to the ground.
At +2 after three quarters (73-71), the locals then seemed to hold the right end, until the awakening of Jayson Tatum, after three missed opportunities from the Maxey-Harden-Embiid trio to accentuate the gap. Jayson Tatum reversed the trend in a flash, following two 3-point missiles including one on the head of Joel Embiid, his first two of the match (83-87)!
Switched to “Game 6” mode, the Celtics superstar scored a new 3-pointer at the head of the racket to relegate Philadelphia to 8 lengths and a last one at the very end of the game to guide his team to a Game 7 (86-95 )!
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
The Joe Mazzulla Fit. To add density to his racquet and complicate the life of Joel Embiid, the Celtics coach chose to start Al Horford and Robert Williams III in his painting. A paying adjustment at the start of the game since it was at this time that Boston took off, with its 3-point success, of course, but also its big defense. Opposite, Joel Embiid thus started the game at 1/7 shooting.
From a nightmarish first half… to “Game 6 Jay”. It’s unheard of or almost, the Celtics’ leading scorer ended up with a zero point at the break. It was not for lack of trying, until the last second of the first half, to finally return to the locker room at 0/10 in shooting, and a small point. Jayson Tatum finally unlocked his counter with a lay-up after three minutes in the third quarter, to finish it off with a bang and thus get Boston off the hook. An endgame that recalled his monumental Game 6 in Milwaukee at the same stage last season.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Jayson Tatum. Clumsy throughout the game, he found his killer instincts at the perfect moment to give the Celtics the boost they needed. Those repeating 3-pointers were like uppercuts that eventually knocked Philly down.
✅ Marcus Smart. The point guard redeemed himself after missing the knockout blow twice in Game 4 with a successful performance on both ends of the field and marked by a significant basket to put his team at +5 with two minutes remaining. .
✅ ⛔Joel Embiid. Well defended by Boston and Al Horford in particular, which caused waste in shooting, but also 4 lost balls. He struggled but failed to turn the game on the right side as he was able to do in the previous two games.
✅ ⛔Tyrese Maxey. Another great performance from him with aggressiveness towards the circle, touch, and liveliness in defense. Like his teammates, however, he also lacked composure at the end.
⛔ James Harden. The James Harden of bad days, clumsy in attack (4/16, including 0/6 from 3-pointers), and with a ratio of assists to lost balls (9 against 5) not pronounced enough. Ask Doc Rivers to find him a gospel to remind him that after the rain comes the good weather.
THE FOLLOWING
Game 7 in Boston this Sunday.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D= defensive rebound; T = Total Bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Points = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
