Boston Celtics beat Philadelphia 76ers 108-100 in Game 3 thriller
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for a dominant fourth-quarter performance as the Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 108-100 on Friday night to reclaim home-court advantage in their playoff series.
The star duo scored 25 points apiece during a thrilling victory in front of a raucous sellout crowd at the Xfinity Mobile Arena.
They were directly responsible for scoring or assisting on their team’s first 27 points in the final period.
Tatum, who is continuing his return from a torn Achilles tendon suffered last year, added seven assists and four rebounds in 42 minutes of action.
The standout forward sealed the result with a crucial three-pointer off an offensive rebound with just 27 seconds remaining.
Experience shines through
Since entering the league in 2018, the Boston stalwarts have played in more postseason games than anyone else in the NBA.
That extensive playoff pedigree proved vital as they repeatedly answered the challenge posed by Tyrese Maxey.
The Philadelphia guard delivered an exceptional individual display, finishing the contest with 31 points and six assists.
However, crucial second-chance opportunities ultimately doomed the hosts to a disappointing home defeat.
Celtics capitalize from deep
Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla has built a reputation for encouraging a high volume of three-point attempts.
His squad executed that tactical plan effectively, connecting on 20 of their 47 efforts from beyond the arc.
Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse acknowledged that his team failed to secure vital defensive rebounds.
“I think they hit four or five threes off offensive rebounds so that’s kind of doubly bad,” Nurse said.
“We knew that was a big, probably the number one key coming into the series and we probably didn’t do enough.”
Embracing the pressure
The decisive moments of the game saw both sides exchange heavy blows in a tense finale.
For the returning Boston talisman, the intensity of the back-and-forth encounter was exactly what he had been missing during his injury layoff.
“Sometimes we had some moments where things didn’t go our way and then we had to fight back and get the lead,” Tatum explained.
“Just as a basketball player, being on a team where everybody’s just contributing and making plays, I just missed being a part of moments like that.”
