Celtics star drops 51 pts in record-breaking performance as Philly suffers major series choke
A record-breaking efficiency from Jayson Tatum has lifted the Boston Celtics into the Eastern Conference finals with a 112-88 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on the TD Garden.
Taytum dropped a staggering 51 factors, essentially the most scored by a participant in a Game 7, en path to the win because the Celtics put together for a sequence in opposition to the Miami Heat.
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The Celtics celebrity, who additionally had 13 rebounds, was helped by a 25-point efficiency from Jaylen Brown.
The Sixers had been left to lament what might have been having led the sequence in opposition to Boston 3-2 at one stage and even had the prospect to shut it out at house in Game Six.
But back-to-back defeats introduced down the curtain on Philadelphia’s season.
The guests weren’t helped by a weak show from celebrity James Harden, who was three-from-11 in taking pictures to attain a measly 9 factors.
Joel Embiid, who was just lately topped MVP, additionally struggled to get into the sport and completed with 15 factors and eight rebounds.
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Although the Sixers stole a 29-23 lead within the first quarter, Boston ramped up the depth and by no means regarded again.
The house facet outscored Philadelphia 32-23 within the second quarter to carry a slender three-point lead at half-time.
But Taytum and his Celtics teammates exploded within the third, proscribing the Sixers to a measly 10 factors whereas scoring 33 of their very own in 1 / 4 that successfully sealed the outcome.
There was little Philly might do within the remaining interval to overturn the outcome as a rowdy TD Garden bought able to rejoice.
Boston’s win additionally means it’s a rematch in each the Western and Eastern Conference finals from the 2020 bubble playoffs, because the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers put together to do battle as soon as once more within the Western Conference finals.