Philadelphia 76ers 119 VS 115 Boston Celtics summary: stats and highlights | NBA Playoffs Game 1
The shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers took a huge 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Semifinals after going into Boston and taking down the Celtics at TD Garden in Game 1. James Harden gave flashbacks of his day’s as the NBA’s scoring champion, posting 45 in the 119-115 win.
No Embiid in Game 1
Joel Embed was ruled out of the series opener just hours before tip off and the Sixers were going to need a big night from everyone if they were to steal the first game in Boston.
Philly was coming off of a sweep of the Brooklyn Nets which meant they had 10 days to rest before the Celtics were ready to host them following a difficult series with the Hawks. The ten days weren’t enough to allow Joel Embiid to recover from his knee injury he suffered in Game 3 against the Nets.
With the big man on the sidelines Harden came out firing, but so did the Celtics who hits17 of 20 field goals in the first quarter to take a seven point lead. Harden scored 12 of his teams first 16 points and had 21 at halftime, while DeAnthony Melton chipped in another 17 off the bench. The bad news for the Sixers was they were losing at halftime. The good news was the deficit was just three despite the Celtics shooting 73.7% from the field and just waking to the basket with no Joel Embiid in the paint.
Harden wins duel with Tatum
Jaylen Brown got the C’s started with 14 points as he and Harden went blow for blow in the first quarter. In the second quarter Jayson Tatum took the wheel, and scored 20 of his 26 first half points in the second. Tatum would end the game with 39 points and Brown had another 23 but cooled down after the first quarter.
Out of the halftime break Tyrese Maxey showed once again what a lethal scorer he can be in the playoffs, scoring 11 in the quarter as he gave Harden a chance to step out of the spotlight for a moment, but that moment wouldn’t last long.
Both teams exchanged shares of the lead in the fourth quarter and throughout the game, but it came down to Harden and Tatum at the end of the game. Philly took the lead after a Maxey lay up with under 30 to go after picking off a pass from Malcom Brogdon to finish off his 28 point game.
Game 2: Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. ET
Tatum would give the Celtics the lead with under 30 seconds to go from the FT line, but then it was Harden time. He hit one of his famous step back from the top of the key over the hand of Al Horford to give the Sixers the Game 1 on the road. He tied a playoff career high with 45 points in one of his most iconic performances of his carrer.
After stealing one in Boston, the attention will turn to Joel Embiid’s knee in the Philly locker room. He’s got a few days to make some progress before Game 2 tips off from TD Garden on Wednesday at 8 ET.
Tatum gave the C's the lead with under 30 to go, but Harden had one more moment of brilliance to silence the Celtics in Game 1.
Up by one and with a chance to make things very difficult for Philly, Malcom Brogdon threw his pass right into the hand of Tyrese Maxey and he took it to the house to take the lead.
There was no stopping Harden in the fourth quarter, and all night for that matter, He had 24 of his 45 in the second half.
Everytime Boston came up with a big play, Harden would silence the TD Garden with dagger after dagger.
Maxey went for double digits in the third quarter and gave his side the lead before the buzzer.
Remember that Harden was a three time scoring champ in the league. He may have a different role on the team with Embiid on the same floor, but when he needs to, he knows how to get buckets.
Maxey had a slow first half, but took over in the third quarter which let Harden take a moment out of the spot light for a short stint.
The Celtics shot over 73% from the field in the first quarter but the Sixers would go into the break down by just a bucket thanks to Harden and the rest of the cast. Harris had 3 of his 18 on this late second quarter shot.
DeAnthony Melton went 5/5 from downtown in the first half and had all 17 of his points before halftime.
Harden went wild from the start. He had 12 of the first 16 points, and finished the first half with 21.
Tyrese Maxey spoke at the end of the first quarter and told the sideline repoter that the Sixers needed to run more. He put those words into action early in the second.
With Joel Embiid sidelined with a knee injury the Sixers needed everyone to step up. No one did that more than James Harden in Game 1.
IT'S ALL OVER!!! THE SIXERS GO INTO BOSTON AND STEAL GAME 1 THANKS TO A 12-4 RUN TO END THE GAME AND 45 POINTS FROM JAMES HARDEN!!!
Reed to the line and he hits both!
Smart tried to drop it off to Tatum in traffic and they lost the ball! Foul on Tatum sends Reed to the line with 4.6 to go.
Harden just pulled up and drilled a three from the top of the key and the Sixers lead by 2 with 8.4 to go!
Harden just tied his career playoff high with 45 points!
Timeout Celtics!
Tatum goes to the line after a quick drive and Harris was called for the foul. Both FTs are good and Boston are back in the lead with 26.1 to go.
Brogdon threw it right into the hands of Maxey and he goes right to the rack to give the Sixers the lead with 28.9 to go in the game!
Timeout Celtics!
Reed going to the rack strong and he earns to FTs after the foul on Smart. He hits both and the Sixers lead with 57.1 to go!
Horford with an offensive board, he gave it up and got it back for the lay in underneath!
Timeout Sixers with 1:14 to go!
1:30 to go in Game 1!
The call is reversed so Maxey's bucket counts and he goes to the line and hits the FT after the Smart foul.
Maxey called for the offensive foul on the drive to the bucket, but there was some debate among the officials and they will go to the monitor with 1:37 to go in the game.
Under 2:30 to go from Boston!
Smart with ANOTHER AND 1 after Horford hit him on the baseline drive and he finished with the reverse after the whistle! FT is good after the foul on Harden.
Tatum at the line after the foul on Melton and he hits one of two FTs.
Harris from the top of the key off the kick back from Harden and he drills the three ball to tie the back again!
Smart with a strong drive and he gets the bucket and the foul on Reed! FT is good to complete the three point play.
Harris put Horford on his back with a curl to the rim and he gets the lay up with 1 on the shot clock!
Brogdon with a lay in off the Tatum assist and Boston takes the lead with 5:04 to go in the game!
Timeout Philly!
Smart had an open path to the rack and he took it for the easy lay up.
It's HARDEN AGAIN!!! He its the pull up jumper to give the Sixers a 4 point lead with under 6 to go.
Brogdon dumps it off to Brown who gets the lay in to go down low.
Smart at the line after the fifth foul on Maxey and he hits both FTs.
McDaniels snags the offensive rebound and that leads to a step back three from Harden!
Harden shakes Brown at the top of the key and ties the game up with a lay up with under 8 to go! He's got 36 on the night.
White lost the ball, and is called for a take foul after Maxey tried to start the break. Maxey hits the one FT and the Sixers will get the ball back.
Harden drills the elbow jumper off the step back and that's the first Philly FG of the quarter.
Tic tac foul on Maxey when White was in no mans land leads to a three ball fro Brown and the Sixers aren't happy about that call.
Harden at the line after Brogdon got a piece of him and he hits both FTs.
Williams with some great defense on one end and on the other end picks a pass off his shoestrings and his a short baseline jumper.
Timeout Philly with 10:09 left in the fourth quarter!
White to the line after the foul on Maxey and he hits both FTs.
Maxey at the line after the foul on Wililams and he hits both FTs.
Tatum going straight to the rack and he gets the lay up to go for the first bucket of the fourth quarter.
Tatum wiggles in the paint and hits the runner in traffic!
That will take us to the end of the third quarter!
Tatum cooled off with just 8 in that quarter, and that allowed Harden and Maxey to put Philly back in the lead.
We are all square after three quarters!
Maxey with back to back buckets and he 's got 11 in the quarter after the jumper from the FT line!
Maxey with the quick penetration and hits the smooth floater in the paint. He's got 16 on the night.
Brogdan with back to back buckets to tie the game and then take the lead with the drive and finish off the left side drive.
Brogdon out of the timeout and he hits the pull up from the FT line to tie the game.
Timeout Philly with a two point lead with 3:03 on the clock.
Tatum at the line after the foul on Reed and he hits both FTs.
Smart drops the floater down the lane.
Harden off the inbound and he drills the corner three ball and that's 30 for Harden!
Philly are at the line for the first time tonight and Harden hits both after the foul on Smart.
Horford was left open for three after Maxey went down in the paint and he punishes the Sixers from the top of the key!
Maxey driving to the bucket and he continues his productive third quarter as he has taken the baton from Melton.
Harden pulled up from the baseline and saw his shot bounce off the back iron and drop straight through the rim!
Brown to the line after the timeout and he hits both FTs.
Harden driving to the bucket the Sixers take the lead for the first time this half.
Timeout Celtics with under 8 to go in the third!
Reed with the slam and that's three buckets in the third quarter, this one ties the game up!
Maxey starting to take over in this third quarter and he gets another lay in to fall
Maxey pulls the trigger from the top of the key and that's another Philly three!
Tatum on the tip in following his own missed floater.
Tatum at the line after the foul on Tucker and he hits both FTs.
Harris goes right at Horford and hits a quick pull up over the C's big man.
Horford on the hook shot from short distance after the bounce pass in the lane from Smart.
WE ARE BACK UNDERWAY FROM BOSTON FOR THE SECOND HALF OF ACTION!!
For as well as the Celtics played on the offensive end, Philly should be thankful they are still in this game. They did hit 11/19 from downtown to keep up with Boston.
Maxey talked about wanting to get out on the break in the quarter change and that's exactly what he did in the second.
Brown got the Celtics started and went. blow for blow with Harden scoring 14 first quarter points.
With no Embiid down low, the Celtics were attacking the paint early which resulted in Boston shooting 17-20 from the first in the first quarter. .
It's all hands on deck for the Sixers tonight without their big man Joel Embiid. Here it was Harris getting out and running the break for the alley oop.
Boston is shooting 73.7% from the field, and Tatum leads all scorers with 26 points, scoring 20 of those in the second quarter. Brown has 16, after scoring 14 in the first and Brogdon has another 14 off the bench.
The good news for the Sixers is they are down by just 3 and the Celtics are shooting almost 75%. Harden started hot and stayed hot. He's got 21 points and Melton has 17 points on 5/5 shooting from DT.
WE ARE HEADED TO HALFTIME WITH THE SIXERS HANGING TIGHT WITH A RAMPANT JAYSON TATUM AND THE BOSTON CELTICS!
Tatum drives to the lane with a eurostep and he finishes in traffic
Kick out from Melton to Harris and he splashes one from downtown!
Brown to the line after the foul on Reed and he hits both FTs at the line with 30 seconds to go in the half.
Reed with another bucket around the semicircle and he's never going to do what Embiid does but he's not having a terrible day offensively.
Melton hits another three ball and that's 17 for him off the bench of 5/5 shooting from DT!
Reed with the reverse off the glass after the dish from Harden.
Timeout Philly with 2:45 to go in the half.
Melton with a three ball to answer back and he's got 14 off the bench!
Philly went with a zone and Tatum jacked it up WAY DOWNTOWN!!!
No look pass from Tatum to Brogdon down low for another open lay up.
Harden answers back with a three ball and he's got himself 21 points as well.
Tatum jacks up another three ball and that's 21 for him tonight! He's got 15 in the quarter!
Tatum on the back door cut and Smart hit him for another easy lay up for the C's.
Harden streaks to the iron after the Tucker steal and he gets the lay up to go over Tatum.
Tatum with back to back lay ups and he's got 16 on the night after scoring just 4 in the first quarter.
Timeout Boston with 6:34 to go in the first half.
Melton tightens this game up from outside, and the Sixers are staying alive in this game with the three ball!
Tatum with another step back jumper, and this time it's him taking the reins after the big first half from Brown!
Maxey pulls up from the FT line and he said it in the break, he wants his team to play quick. That's what he's doing in this second quarter.
Harris his the short bucket in the paint.
Horford cutting to the bucket and he gets that to go after the dish Hauser.
Tatum was wide open on the perimeter and Brogdon hit him from the three ball!
Melton knifes through the Celtics defense and lays it up off the glass. We are tied up again!
Maxey with a mad dash to the rack in transition and he gets the score after the steal.
Melton starts the second quarter with a three ball from the win and the Sixers have six threes!
We are at the end of a high paced first quarter in which the Boston Celtics shot 17/20 from the field, most of those coming around the rim.
Brown has 14 to start, and Brogdon has 10 but they have yet to figure out a way to stop James Harden who has 16 points!
Brogdon with a floater and he's got 10 off the bench in the first quarter.
Niang strokes one from downtown off the Harden Dish! That's five 1st quarter threes for Philly!
Brogdon answers back and he's got a quick 8 points off the bench!
Melton in the corner and he hits the contested three in the face of the defender.
Brogdon beat everyone down court and White slipped it off to him on the bounce pass from the FT line for the lay up ion the break.
Williams with another alley oop slam after the lob from Smart! That's two in a matter of minutes.
Harden with the floater in the lane and he's got 16 points in the first quarter!
Brogdon drills a three pointer off the bench and everyone is getting into the mix on both sides of the court.
Harris driving and dunking after the dish from Harden.
Brown going back to work down low and the Celtics have 18 points in the paint.
Harden calms the Sixers down with a jumper from the elbow.
Tatum lobs one over the defense for R. Williams and he gets the alley oop jam right off the bench.
Smart hit Brown driving baseline and Brown skied to the iron for the two handed jam out of the timeout! 9-0 run for the C's.
Brown lungeing to the basket and he gets the finger roll off the glass.
Philly take a timeout with 5:34 to go in the first after a 7-0 C's run.
Tatum gets the roll after the strong drive to the bucket and you can notice the absence of the big man Embiid in the paint on the defensive end.
Brown hits another three ball out of the timeout and we have a three point game.
Maxey drills a three ball and the Celtics need a timeout after a hot start to Game 1!
Brown getting to the rack after the dish from Tatum and he's got the Celtics keeping pace with Harden.
Harden with back to back three balls and he's got 12 of the 16 points for Philly out of the gate.
White gets the lay up to go off a strong drive to the iron.
It's Harden again! He's got nine quick points after his first three of the night.
Harden with another step back jumper from the mid range and he has started this game 3/3
Brown hits the corner three and he's on the board for the first time tonight.
Harris stretching to the iron for the dunk off the assist from Reed.
Harden hits the step back and he is getting off to a nice start.
Harris drills the elbow jumper and like Harris and Maxey he has to be big in the absence of Embiid.
Horford comes up with the block, and Tatum finishes off with the transition jam!
Little two man game from Horford and Brown and Horford finds the easy bucket underneath.
Backdoor cut from Tatum and the bounce pass leads him right to the rack for the jam!
Harden starts the scoring with a mid range jumper and he'sm going to have to be more than just a provider tonight.
WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM BOSTON!!! GAME 1 STARTS NOW!
Philly's five
With no Joel Embiid, it's Paul Reed who gets the call down low. That means James Harden is going to be extra special tonight as Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris look to fill the shoes of Embiid on the stat sheet.
Celtics starters
Joe Mazulla has one of the deepest teams in the league, he also has the luxury of having the best starting five in the NBA. Tatum and Brown are devastating and the Horford, Smart and White provide a perfect balance.
Series history
These are two of the most historic franchises in the Eastern Conference, so it shouldn’t surprise us that there have been 22 playoff series between the Sixers and Celtics. The last series between these two teams came in the bubble, when the C’s swept Philly in four games. This year, the Celtics have won three of the four games against the 76ers, with all three victories coming within less than 10 points. Even with a healthy Embiid Philadelphia knows this is not going to be an easy series to survive.
Embiid out
The biggest question surrounding this series is the status of Joel Embiid. He sprained his knee on April 20th in Game 3, and missed the close out game against the Nets, and despite the extended rest awaiting the winner of the Hawks-Celtics series he has been ruled out for tonight's game. It goes without saying that if the Sixers don’t have their big man for tonight and the rest of the series their Championship quest gets exponentially more difficult. He has been diagnosed with a sprained LCL, and now the Sixers will have to play a waiting game until their MVP candidate who averaged a league high 33 points and 10.2 rebounds in the regular season returns.
Sixers have to hang on without Harden
James Harden was brought to Philly to be Joel Embiid’s side kick in the City of Brother Love, but with the big man may be sidelined for one of more games. Harden used to be one of the top scorers in the league, but he has switched his game to become one of the top assist men in the game. He ended the regular season averaging 10.7 dishes a night and in the first round he had over 8 a game.
How they got here: Boston
Boston came off of their run to their NBA Finals as the favorites to win the East again this year, despite going through a coaching changed after Ime Udoka was suspended for inappropriate relations with a member of the Celtics staff. Joe Mazulla took over in an interim role initially, and he had Boston rolling from the start thanks to the fabulous play of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. It wasn’t until the Milwaukee Bucks went through a red hot streak towards the second end of the season that the Celtics lost out on the top spot in the East. That set up a tricky first round series against the Atlanta Hawks which they won in 4-2 wrapping up the series down south.
How they got here: Philly
The Sixers came into the season with a sense of now or never as their Big Two completed their first full campaign together since James Harden as traded to Philly in February of last year. Joel Embiid had another MVP worthy season as the Sixers were hanging in the top three essentially all year. At the end of the regular season, Doc Rivers’ team finished in third, setting up a first round series with a depleted Brooklyn Nets team. They swept the Nets despite Joel Embiid’s injury which forced him to miss the close out game just a few days later.
We are live from Boston
Hello everyone, and welcome to TD Garden where we are getting ready to tip off a series that is worthy of a Conference Final match up, but here we are in the semifinal in the East with a mouthwatering encounter between two of the best teams in the conference, each led by two of the best players in the league. The Sixers made light work of their first round match up, while the C’s had to sweat through the opening round. Now all eyes shift to New England for Game 1 of the Sixers vs. Celtics.
Sixers vs. Celtics Game 1
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals begins tonight from Boston as the second seeded Celtics host the Philadelphia 76ers in the series opener. AS English will be with you all night providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis of tonight’s first of a potential seven games.