Jayson Tatum missed his first six 3-pointers earlier than he drilled two straight clutch ones late within the sport that pushed the Celtics previous the Philadelphia 76ers 95-86 on Thursday night time to ship the Eastern Conference semifinals again to Boston for Game 7.
The defending convention champs are in acquainted territory. Boston trailed 3-2 final season within the second spherical towards Milwaukee earlier than it received Game 6 on the highway and the clincher at house.
Game 7 is Sunday.
Tatum, who averaged 30.1 factors within the common season, by no means stopped taking pictures even because the misses stored coming. He missed 14 of his first 15 photographs general from the ground and his ineffectiveness was a key motive the Celtics couldn’t maintain a 16-point lead.
With a shot at their first convention remaining since 2001 at stake, the Sixers slogged by way of the primary half earlier than Joel Embiid flashed his MVP type and rallied the Sixers to a fourth-quarter lead.
Tyrese Maxey hit two free throws with 5:25 left for an 83-81 edge.
And that was it for Philly.
Tatum buried one 3 for the 84-83 lead and a second that made it 87-83 and put the Celtics in agency management of Game 6.
Embiid and Tyrese Maxey every scored 26 factors for the 76ers.
76ers coach Doc Rivers has blown three 3-1 sequence leads over his playoff profession. While the 76ers by no means obtained that far forward, that is their second loss at house within the sequence and so they seemingly had seized momentum within the fourth quarter.
Tatum as a substitute caught it to the 76ers with one remaining 3-point dagger for a 95-84 lead.
After Embiid’s pull-up jumper tied the sport 81-all, the 76ers didn’t make a bucket over the ultimate 6:13 of the sport
Tatum missed all 10 photographs, together with 5 3-point makes an attempt, within the first half because the Celtics led by seven. Tatum has mentioned he might have surgical procedure on his left wrist within the offseason within the wake of a tough fall. Whatever the reason for his taking pictures ails, he discovered the remedy within the remaining 12 minutes and the East champs nonetheless have life.
Tatum completed with 19 factors on simply 5-for-21 taking pictures however the remaining stat line mattered little after he keyed the 14-3 run that stored the Celtics’ convention repeat hopes alive beneath rookie head coach Joe Mazzulla.
Just like in Game 3 when the Sixers squandered the momentum off Embiid’s MVP ceremony, the 76ers once more did not maintain a packed home as rocking as they had been at tipoff. The Celtics took a quick 15-3 lead and that silenced the group and discombobulated the Sixers.
The Celtics led 40-26 as a result of — partially due to three 3s from Malcolm Brogdon — however an ineffective half from Embiid, James Harden and Tobias Harris. Embiid and Harris began 1 of seven and Harden 2 of 8 and but, the deficit might have been a lot worse.
The Sixers steadied themselves considerably — creaky Harden stunned everybody with a uncommon, thunderous dunk — and the Sixers had life down solely 50-43 on the break.
