Boston Celtics 114 vs 102 Philadelphia 76ers summary: stats and highlights | NBA Playoffs Game 3
The Boston Celtics landed the first blow in Philly, taking a 2-1 series lead with a big road win in Game 3 from Wells Fargo Center. Jayson Tatum led his side to the 114-102 victory with 27 points and 10 rebounds in Friday’s early tip-off.
Harden’s shooting struggles continue
The night started in a celebratory fashion as Joel Embiid was awarded the MVP trophy in front of his fans. It was an emotional pregame presentation as the Sixers center shed tears as he brought his son to celebrate with him, but Embiid was able to push those emotions to the side and had a fantastic night in his second game back from injury.
Jayson Tatum was quick to quiet the crowd with 10 quick points in the first quarter as he and Embiid exchanged blows early in the game. The Sixers turned the ball over seven times in the first quarter but a 15-4 run to end the quarter put them up by a point, but they would lose that lead for good just a few minutes later.
The first quarter had been Jaylen Brown’s money maker in the first two games, but he was quiet out of the gate on Friday night. He came to life in the second quarter scoring 9 of his 23 on the night as James Harden’s struggles from Game 2 carried into Game 3. He was just 2/14 on Wednesday night and had just one field goal through the first three and a half quarters.
Horford’s hot shooting seals game
Embiid carried his side in the second half making runs to bring Boston within a basket or two, but he couldn’t down the Celtics on his own. On a night where Harden scored 16, most of them coming way too late in the game, and Maxey had an off night from the field, Boston polished off the game on the shoulders of Jayson Tatum and Al Horford.
Horford had just 15 points in the first two games but exploded for 17 on 5/7 shooting including a huge fourth quarter triple try when the Sixers were in the midst of one of those runs to cut into the deficit.
Embiid ended the night with 30 points and 13 rebounds, and looks like the pre LCL sprain MVP but he was noticeably winded at times late in the game. His MVP celebration was crashed by the Celtics, and now it’s up to him and the Sixers to tie the series up on Sunday afternoon from the Wells Fargo Center.
Tatum is a closer. He proves it over and over again, and in Game 3 he outscored the Sixers in the final three minutes.
When Boston needed someone to seal the game, Tatum came through in the clutch and buried the Sixers.
Horford had five threes in Game 3, but none were bigger than this one off an offensive board to stretch the lead to 7 late on.
Everytime it seemed like Joel Embiid was going to pull the Sixers back in the fourth quarter, the Celtics would come back with a big bucket and silence the crowd in Philly.
Brown has been fantastic all postseason, and Game 3 was no different. He finished the night with 23 points and had some big buckets late on.
Al Horford came into the night with 15 points in the series, he had 17 on 5/7 shooting from three point range in Game 3.
Jaylen Brown had been fantastic in the first quarters of Game 1 and 2, but started slow early on. He went to half with 11.
Tatum scored just three points in the second quarter, but the rest of the Celtics came through as he cooled down.
Tatum took no time getting warmed up in a big Game 3 win in Philly. He had 10 first quarter points after scoring just 7 in Game 2.
IT'S ALL OVER!!! THE BOSTON CELTICS BOUNCE BACK AND TAKE GAME 3 IN PHILLY!
Brogdon to the line and he hits both FTs.
Embiid strolls to the lane and he gets the lay in to go as Boston pulls their defense back.
Brown at the line and he hits both FTs after the foul on Tucker.
Tatum to the line after the foul on Harris and he hits both FTs with 1:18 to go.
Harden to the line after the foul on Williams and he hits one of two FTs.
Tatum drops a three ball and quiets this crowd down with 1:42 to go!
Harden drops a three from the top of the key off the Embiid kickout!
Tatum drops a tough turnaround J on the baseline and he's got 22 on the night.
Horford freed himself with a ball fake and drilled the three ball from the top of the key!
Timeout Sixers with 3:22 to go in the fourth quarter!
Embiid on the tip in on a second offensive board and we have a four point game with under 4 to go.
We are under 5 in the final quarter!
Harden finally gets a lay up to go on a drive on the left side.
Brogdon answers back with a three ball and that takes the wind out of this Wells Fargo Center!
Melton hits another big thee ball and we have a 5 point game with 5:30 to go.
Brogdon at the line out of the timeout and he hits both FTs.
Brogdon to the line after the foul on Harris and he'll be at the line after the Sixers timeout with 6:41 to go.
Harden with the skip pass to Melton who drills the corner three ball!
Tatum gets to the line after the foul on Melton and he hits one of two FTs.
Harden hits two FTs after the foul on Smart. He still has just one FG in this game.
NIanig with a lay up in traffic and that's seven in the quarter!
Smart gets the floater to fall in the lane.
Niang drills the three ball from the wing and he's got five quick points.
Whites floater falls in the lane after the dish from Brogdon.
Niang gets to the rack and finishes with the lay in.
Tatum streaks through the lane and lays it up and in.
We are heading to the final quarter with the Celtics leading by 11. Philly drew close, but every time they did Boston pulled back ahead. Brown had 10 in the quarter, and Tatum had 7.
Embiid had 12 but he's getting no help from James Harden who had 8 points on 1/9 shooting.
Embiid going to the line after the foul on R. Williams and he hits one of two with a minute to go in the third.
Brogdon drills a three ball after the kick out from Tatum and Boston are on a 8-0 run!
R. Williams to the line and he hits both FTs after the foul on Embiid.
The Sixers take a timeout with under two minutes to go in the third quarter!
Brogdon stops the minirun from the Sixers with a pull up three ball!
Embiid back to the line and he hits both after the foul on R. Williams.
Embiid fouled by G. Williams and he hits both FTs.
Brown running the break and he hits the lay up and gets the foul! FT is good after Harden picks up the foul.
Horford was wide open from downtown and he drills it after the dish from White!
Tucker was dared to shoot it in the corner and he punishes the Celtics with a corner three!
Brown takes Embiid off the dribble and gets it to fall off the glass.
Embiid pull up from the elbow and he hits the mid ranger. He's got 21!
Embiid split a couple defenders off the dribble and got the lay up! He's got 18 and 5 so far.
Brown gets the mid range jumper to go after picking up the long offensive board.
Harris driving baseline and hanging in the air for the floater!
Harris goes to the line after the foul on Horford and he hits one of two FTs.
Smart drills a three ball after Tatum went diving into the first row! He is shaken up and the Celtics will take a timeout with under 8 to go in the third.
Tucker in the corner and the Sixers are starting to heat up from the arc.
Embiid steps to the perimeter and drills his first three of the night!
Tatum on the floater and he gets it to drop.
Maxey hits another three ball and he's got two quick ones to start the quarter.
Brown to the rack and he gets the bucket and the foul on Embiid! FT is good for Brown!
Tatum gets back to the rack and he'll be looking to get going in the second half after scoring three in the second quarter.
Maxey answers back with a three ball of his own! He's got 13 on the night.
Horford drops a three ball and Boston starts the third the same way they ended the second.
WE ARE BACK IN PLAY FOR THE SECOND HALF OF ACTION FROM PHILLY!
Tatum got going early with a couple straight threes and 10 points after the first 12 minutes.
Tatum had 10 in the first quarter, but slowed down in the second quarter scoring just three as Brown stepped up and goes to half with 11 on the night. White and Smart are both in double digits as well.
Embiid leads the Sixers with 14 points and Harden has 8, but has shot 1/7 from the field.
The quarter ended, but after looking at the Melton shot, they counted the bucket so Philly goes to the break down 7!
Melton hit a three, but the refs said the shot clock had run out although on the replay it looked awfully close.
On the other end Horford drills a three ball with 1.8 on the clock and the Celtics go to the break up 10!
Brown flipped it up in transition and he got the roll to go.
Maxey drills the three after Embiid felt the double team and kicked it out!
Brown comes out of the timeout with a fader off the glass from outside the lane! He gets the bucket and the foul after Harden got a piece of him, and the FT is good.
Brown goes coast to coast and finishes with the lay up!
Timeout Celtics with under 4 to go in the quarter.
Horford gets the jump hook in the lane to go.
Tucker drills a three ball in the corner after the kick out from Harden!
Brown with the pull up from the FT line and he might be starting to warm up in this game.
Embiid takes Brown off the dribble, missed the first but hit the tip in.
White drops the pull up and he's having himself a first quarter. He's got 11 already.
Niang was left open from the perimeter and he punishes Boston with a deep ball!
White got hit by Maxey on the three and he hits all three FTs.
Third chance points for the Celitcs leads to a Smart three ball!
Timeout Sixers with 8:34 to go in the first half!
Tatum knifes through the lane and he hits the lay up off the glass.
Harden fouled by Smart from behind the line and he hits all three FTs.
Smart dashes to the rack on the inbound and he gets the sharp angle lay up to go off the glass.
Melton missed the floater but Harris was there with the tip in.
Smart to the line after the foul on Melton and he hits both FTs.
Harris backs down Tatum and hits the fader in the lane.
Melton was called for a T during the break and Tatum hits the FT.
WE ARE AT THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER!!!
The Sixers end the quarter up 1 after a 15-4 run. Embiid leads Philly with 12 points, and Philly hit all 12 of their FTs in that quarter. They lead despite turning the ball over 7 times.
The Celtics started hot from DT, hitting six of nine threes, and Tatum had a quick points. Brown has just two after 12 minutes.
Maxey goes to the line after the foul on Smart and he hits both FTs.
Embiid to the line and he hits both FTs after the foul on R. Williams.
Brogdon with the runner from the elbow and that's his first bucket off the bench.
Williams on the slam after the slip pass from Smart on the baseline.
Embiid on the catch and shoot from the FT line and the Sixers lead with 2:00 to go in the first quarter. He's got 10 and Philliy is on a 11-0 run.
Melton comes out of the timeout with a thee ball and we have a one point game after the Celtics stretched the lead to double digits!
Maxey in transition and he finishes with the reverse!
Timeout Celtics with 3:23 to go in the first quarter.
Embiid at the line after a hard foul by G. Williams and he hits both FTs.
Melton at the line after a foul on Williams and he hits both FTs.
White with another three ball and that' s 6 threes in 6 minutes for BOS!
McDaniels in the corner after the kick out from Harden and he hits the corner three!
Horford drills the three ball from the top of the key after the lay off from White. Boston has started this game 5/8 from DT.
White fouled Embiid and he hits both FTs.
Brown fouled by Harris and he hits both FTs at the line.
Embiid driving on Horford and the lay up off the glass looked way to easy.
Tatum gets the transition lay up to go and it's all going the Celtics way early on in Game 3!
Timeout Sixers with less than four gone in the first.
Harden drills a three ball and he's going to need to bring back shades of the Harden in Game 1 tongiht.
IT'S TATUM AGAIN!!! THE CELTICS HAVE HIT FOUR TRIPLES IN THE FIRST THREE MINUTES OF THE GAME!!!
Harden hits a couple FTs after getting fouled by Tatum.
White hits another three and the Celtics are rolling out of the gate from downtown!
Tatum with back to back threes for Boston and the Celtics need to hit threes, and a lot of them to find success. That was a focus of coach Mazzulla after a slow shooting performance in Game 1.
Smart drills the wide open three ball after the Sixers backed off and dared him to shoot.
Tatum with a tough fade away from outside the lane and he's on the board after a 7 point performance.
Embiid starts the game off with an elbow jumper after an emotional MVP ceremony.
WE ARE UNDERWAY IN GAME 3 FROM PHILLY!!!
MVP! MVP
It doesn't get any better than this. Joel and his young son sharing the biggest moment of his NBA career together. The Big Man couldn't help be reduced to tears as he celebrated the pinnacle of his basketball life with his family on the court. A young kid from Cameroon who started playing basketball at the age of 15 is now the best player in the world.
Joel Embiid is getting his well deserved MVP award after an outstanding season, and while thanking his teammates, family and God he brought out his son and tears started rolling down my face, with about 20,000 others in the Wells Fargo Center. Incredible presentation, emotions filling the arena. How will that affect the game tonight? It's not easy to get an award like the MVP of the NBA and deliver afterwards.
I could just put what I say about the Celtics starting five on repeat since that's what Joe Mazzulla does, but I won't. The Celtics have one of the most dynamic starting fives in the league and they will need all five of them to get a win in Philly tonight.
Forget about Harden Forget about Embiid. One of the keys to success for Philly tonight, and for the rest of the playoff is Tyrese Maxey. He has an incredible ability to get hot in a hurry. Tonight, Joel and James will need to be on point tonight to top the Celtics.
Embiid back to being Embiid?
While many believe the Sixers rushed to judgement in putting Embiid back in the starting five while still feeling the affects of his sprained LCL, Doc Rivers knew that getting two wins in Boston was going to be a monumental task. Reintroducing Embiid back to game action was a risk that Philly knew they could take because they won the first game in Boston. Tonight Embiid already has that scratch game under his belt and look for him to be much more comfortable on the court tonight against the Celtics.
Jaylen just getting started
Many people, myself included are guilty of underestimating the importance of Jaylen Brown on this Boston Celtics squad. If he wasn’t sharing the same backcourt as Jayson Tatum this guy might be one of the top scorers in the league. He can get hot in a hurry and is a first quarter specialist. He has had double digits in both games of the Eastern Conference Semis and is averaging 26 points a game in the playoffs. The Celtics have the luxury of having two bonafide superstars on their team, and if one is having an off night the other is more than capable of stepping up. And if they are both on, watch out. There is no stopping this Celtics team.
The Harden/Embiid connection
Joel Embiid returned for Game 2 on Wednesday, but as the Sixers found out that doesn’t alway translate to the team immediately improving. They played a totally different way then they did in Game 1, which meant that James Harden was much less involved on the scoring end. He may have taken the most shots on the team, 14, but he made just two of them and ended the game with 12 points. Embiid had just 15 points and only had 3 rebounds in his return. Don’t get me wrong, getting Embiid back is a huge boost for Philly, but Philly will need time to for him to get back into game shape and the team to adjust to working the offense through their big man.
Tatum due for a big night
Sometimes basketball doesn’t make any sense. How can Jayson Tatum put up 39 in one game and the Celtics lose, and then score 7 in the next game and the Celtics win? He is the unquestioned superstar in New England and will be for the next decade or more, but it doesn’t mean he has to be on every night. The Boston front offices have built a team that is capable of winning even if their top scorer, and one of the faces of the league’s next generation has an off night. Tatum will be itching put the seven point Game 2 performance behind him with a big night in Philly
Game 2 recap
The Sixers went into the second game in Boston on a high after winning the opener without their big man who in between Games 1 and 2 was crowned the MVP of the NBA. Philly suffered a big let down as Joel Embiid returned to action after spraining his knee in the previous series. Embiid had a massive protective brace around that knee which may have hindered him, or it may have been the two weeks without playing. Either way neither he nor his team could get it going on the offense end, and Celtics cruised to victory on a night where Jayson Tatum was held to just 7 points. Jaylen Brown picked up the slack in the opening quarter and finished the game with 25 points in the blowout win. It was just an eight point game heading into the third quarter but Philly scored just 38 points in the final 24 minutes and the Celtics cruised to victory to even up the series.
We are live from Philly
Hello everyone and welcome to Wells Fargo Center where we will play the next two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals. James Harden’s heroics were enough to steal a game in New England to start the series but the Celtics responded with a blowout win over the Sixers in Game 2, and now were come into tonight with everything to play for. Game 3 so often determines who will win the series, especially in a 1-1 matchup. That makes tonight’s match up even more important.
Celtics vs. Sixers Game 3
We’ve got a big one from Philadelphia tonight as the Sixers return home after getting a win on the road in Boston and now it’s the Celtics turn to try to steal one in the City of Brotherly love as the series shifts to Wells Fargo Center for the next two games. AS English will be with you all night providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis of tonight’s Game 3 from Philly.