The Celtics knew the 76ers would nonetheless pose an issue with out Joel Embiid. They acknowledged they revered their second-round opponent even with out their star enormous man and the likely MVP.
And however, as quickly as as soon as extra, they found a method to make life more durable on themselves.
Recreation 1 was not what the Celtics designed, and it was one different MVP who put them in a spot. James Harden scored 45 components in an electrifying effectivity – along with the game-winning 3-pointer with seconds remaining – as a result of the 76ers went into TD Backyard and stole Recreation 1 with a surprising 119-115 victory.
Jayson Tatum scored 39 components, Jaylen Brown added 23 components and Malcolm Brogdon scored 20, nevertheless they couldn’t overcome 16 turnovers – quite a lot of of them coming in unhealthy spots with the game on the highway – or Harden’s 45 components, which included seven 3-pointers. It included a devastating step-back triple over Al Horford with 8.1 seconds remaining, which quieted the Backyard crowd.
Marcus Good devoted his sixth turnover on the next play sooner than Tatum devoted a foul. Then, Paul Reed’s two free throws sealed the win and a 1-0 sequence lead for the Sixers.
The Celtics had quite a lot of leads late, and took a 96-91 lead after Brown’s prolonged 3-pointer sooner than they gave up an 8-0 run, which included a powerful stretch from Harden. He hit a step-back 3 to supply Philly a 99-96 lead, after which one different moments later to position them up 102-100.
Boston answered with a quick run to retake the lead after Tatum found Brogdon for a go-ahead layup and a 104-102 lead. Tatum was inadvertently hit throughout the groin by PJ Tucker, nevertheless re-entered after a quick break.
The C’s and Sixers continued shopping for and promoting blows. Tobias Harris hit a game-tying triple sooner than the Celtics took a 111-107 lead on Marcus Good’s three-point play. With 1:38 to go, Maxey drew a three-point play, beating Good to the spot on a bang-bang play that pressured the officers to go to the monitor. After a overview, the ruling stood and Maxey hit the free throw to make it 111-110.
On the next possession, the Celtics grabbed a pair of offensive rebounds and remodeled on the third try when Al Horford accomplished a layup. Paul Reed made two free throws with 57 seconds left sooner than the C’s devoted a turnover in a dear spot. Because the shot clock expired, Malcolm Brogdon threw the ball away correct to Maxey, who took it dwelling for a go-ahead layup and 114-113 Sixers lead.
The Celtics generally known as timeout sooner than drawing up a play for Tatum, who was fouled and made two go-ahead free throws as a result of the C’s retook the lead. However on the next journey, Harden hit the most important shot of the evening time, pulling up and draining a 3-pointer over Horford to supply the Sixers a 117-115 lead.
After a principally strong first half, the Celtics gentle late throughout the second quarter and it carried over into the third. They devoted 4 turnovers throughout the opening 4:16 of the second half. Regardless of taking photos the lights out, though the Sixers didn’t have Embiid, the Celtics found themselves trailing. They’d been down six after Harden drilled a tough, step-back 3 throughout the nook with 5:06 left throughout the third.
However then the Celtics lastly started getting some stops. Good hit a floater, Tatum made two free throws after which Malcolm Brogdon made back-to-back buckets, along with the go-ahead layup that put them up 85-83. Out of the blue there was some life inside TD Backyard.
Maxey didn’t let it closing for prolonged. The Celtics held the Sixers scoreless for better than 4 minutes sooner than the guard hit a tough floater over Robert Williams. He hit one different jumper with 10 seconds left sooner than Tatum’s drive with 0.5 seconds to go tied the game at 87 heading to the fourth.
Different takeaways:
– Early on, the absence of Embiid was evident. It was regular layup traces for the Celtics, who had been getting one thing they wished inside.
Tatum was slicing into the middle for easy jams, leading to an early Celtics lead. After falling behind early, a 7-0 run was highlighted by a thunderous dunk from Brown adopted by an alley-oop from Robert Williams. The C’s had been getting fully no resistance from the Sixers’ inside safety, and it confirmed throughout the discipline ranking. They shot 85 % from the sector throughout the first quarter, and had been at 73.7 % at halftime. They’d 26 components throughout the paint after the first, and held a 40-22 edge inside at halftime.
– Tatum was due for a strong taking photos evening time after a subpar – by his necessities – first spherical. He took administration throughout the second quarter, as he scored 20 components throughout the interval. He scored 12 consecutive Celtics components all through one stretch, and his pull-up 3-pointer with 3:31 left throughout the half gave the Celtics their largest lead at the moment at 12. He entered the halftime locker room taking photos 11-for-15, along with 4-for-4 from 3-point range.
– As strong as they appeared offensively throughout the first half, the Celtics could have been greater. They devoted seven turnovers throughout the first half, and their execution waned late throughout the first half as a result of the Sixers went on a 11-4 half-ending run to cut the Celtics’ lead to merely three on the break.
– The Celtics knew the Sixers had totally different threats previous Embiid. However with some additional different, De’Anthony Melton carried out greater than anticipated throughout the first half, as he scored 17 components on 5 3-pointers.
– If the game appeared additional free-flowing than common throughout the first half, it made sense. Neither group took a free throw until there have been 30.8 seconds remaining throughout the second quarter, when Brown went to the highway for two.
– Grant Williams didn’t play in three of six video video games of their first-round sequence in direction of the Hawks, and carried out just one minute in Recreation 4, nevertheless he was the third Celtics participant to return again in off the bench when he checked in with 4:15 remaining throughout the first quarter.
