NBA Playoff Semifinals Night Games: Philadelphia (3) vs Boston (2) (3:3 in series) 95:86
Phoenix (4) vs Denver (1) (2:
3 to Denver in series)
Scored more than all of Philadelphia in the final quarter. Tatum (Photo: Reuters)
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Philadelphia (3) vs Boston (2) (3:3 in series) 95:86
The defending champion came into this game with her back against the wall knowing that a loss would cost her elimination, a year after she stretched Goldth State in the NBA Finals. Jayson Tatum had a terrible shooting night and missed his first six shots from beyond the arc, but in the fourth quarter he made a huge appearance and single-handedly swept the Celtics to this victory with no less than 16 points in the final quarter compared to Philadelphia's 13 as a whole, which as in the previous game collapsed in manic time, but this time Harden could not save it from defeat.
Tatum missed 15 of his first 16 shots, but stitched two clutch threes in the final quarter. Tyrese Maxey scored two free throws to put Philadelphia up 81-83 with 5:57 left, but from then on it was Tatum's show, who hit two consecutive threes and then added two more to complete a 1:14 run with only Maxey scoring from the line and the hosts' first basket with 22 seconds left in the game.
This time he couldn't save Philly. Harden in a fight with Tatum (Photo: Reuters)
That loss took all the demons out of the closet of Doc Rivers, who won a memorable championship with the same Boston in 2008, but has since lost no fewer than nine times in Game 7 of the playoffs — more than any other coach in the NBA. To win again in Boston, he'll need Harden at his peak and certainly Embiid, the new MVP, who has been dysfunctional in the decisive quarter for two consecutive games.
Tatum finished that game with a terrible 19 points (5-of-21) but won the game in the final quarter and also added 9 rebounds and 6 assists for Boston, which will now try to decide the series at home. Marcus Smart added 22 for the winners and Jaylen Brown 17. Joel Embiid scored 26 for the losers, as did Tyrese Maxey, but as in the previous game, he disappeared in the final quarter and collapsed under the pressure. James Harden, who beat Philly the previous game, had a terrible night like in Games 2 and 3 with 13 points (4-of-16 from the field), 9 assists and 5 steals.
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- Boston Celtics
- Philadelphia Sixers
- Phoenix Suns
- Denver Nuggets