The Eastern Conference Semifinals series between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers will come down to a Game 7 at TD Garden.
The Celtics kept their season alive with a dramatic victory Thursday night at Wells Fargo Center. They started strong and led by as many as 16 points, but the Sixers erased the deficit and took the lead in the middle of the third quarter.
Fortunately for Boston, it regained the lead and pulled away late in the fourth quarter to escape with a 95-86 win. Jayson Tatum played the hero with 16 points in the frame after struggling mightily throughout the night. The 76ers scored 13 total points in the fourth.
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Marcus Smart led the C's in the scoring column with 22 points. Tatum finished with 19 and Jaylen Brown chipped in 17.
Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 26 points apiece. James Harden tallied 13 points but did not score in the fourth quarter.
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The stage is set for Celtics-Sixers Game 7 on Sunday. But first, here are three takeaways from Thursday's crucial win in Philly.
A nightmare start and clutch finish for Tatum
If the Sixers had finished off the Celtics, Jayson Tatum would have taken some serious heat.
Tatum once again didn't make a shot in the first quarter, making him 1-for-24 in the frame over his last three games. He started 0-for-11 with only one point in the first half and didn't make his first field goal until the 8:35 mark of the third quarter.
In Games 4 and 5, Tatum made up for his slow starts with strong second halves. It didn't look like that would be the case on Thursday night -- but then the fourth quarter happened.
The two-time first-team All-NBAer found his shot at the perfect time. He drilled three straight 3-pointers, including the go-ahead bucket, late in the fourth.
Sixteen of Tatum's 19 points came in the final frame. When the game was on the line, the four-time All-Star showed up and willed his team to victory.
Obviously, the Celtics will want their superstar to deliver from start to finish in Sunday's Game 7. Another Tatum no-show for three quarters probably won't end well. But this win was a testament to Tatum's resilience and the C's ability to keep pace with the Sixers even when their stars aren't on their game.
C's guards step up
Game 5 wasn't one to remember for the Celtics' guard trio of Smart, Derrick White, and Malcolm Brogdon. They shot a combined 7-for-22 from the field and forced Tatum and Brown to carry the load offensively.
Game 6 was a bounce-back performance for the group and it all started with Smart. The longest-tenured Celtic preached about the "dogfight" mindset his team needed to bring to Philadelphia and backed up every word of his statement. He notched a team-high 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting (3-8 3-PT) with seven assists, seven rebounds, and two steals. It was arguably his best all-around game of the 2022-23 season.
Brogdon was the catalyst early on with 11 points in the first quarter. The Sixth Man of the Year finished with 16, hitting four of his six 3-pointers.
White was replaced in the starting lineup by Robert Williams but still made an impact off the bench. The first-time All-Defense selection made an impact on both ends of the floor with nine points (3-5 3-PT), two rebounds, an assist, a steal, and a block in 19 minutes.
This group, especially Smart, kept the Celtics afloat while Tatum scuffled through the first three quarters. Boston will hope it won't need another 22-point night out of Smart to make up for Tatum's shooting woes in Game 7.
Lineup adjustment pays off
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla went with the double-big starting lineup with Williams alongside Al Horford. From the opening tip, it was clear it was the right decision.
Williams' presence with Horford added a layer of difficulty for 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid in the paint. The improved interior defense was noticeable throughout the first quarter and excellent in the fourth as Philly was limited to only 13 points. The C's also outrebounded the Sixers, 50-38.
Williams tied Smart as a team-best +18. The 25-year-old big man ended up with 10 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks in 28 minutes.
We should expect Mazzulla to roll with the same lineup on Sunday.
