Embiid and Harden both turned in complete duds, and their lack of productive was the main reason the Sixers aren't advancing. To say that didn't happen would be an understatement. If he can consistently put pressure on Boston's defense, get them in foul trouble and generate open opportunities for his teammates, the Sixers should have a real chance to walk away with a win. The big man needs to be assertive and dominant from the opening tip. Embiid has been solid in the series, but he went nearly the final four minutes of Game 6 without taking a shot while the contest slipped away from Philly. The Sixers need their two stars - Joel Embiid and James Harden - to show up in a big way if they're going to secure their first conference finals berth since 2001. This closeout game will be all about star power for Philadelphia. In the preview for Game 7, this is what I wrote as the main key for Philadelphia heading into the contest: He rose to the moment, and his performance is one that will be remembered for quite some time.įollowing Game 6, Tatum said that he was "humbly, one of the best basketball players in the world." After his performance in Game 7, no one is going to disagree with him. He had 25 points by halftime, and he finished with a record-setting 51 points. It was clear that he was determined to atone for some of his pervious struggles in the series, and he did exactly that. Tatum propelled the Celtics to victory in Game 6 with his clutch shooting down the stretch, and he completely buried Philadelphia from the opening tip on Sunday. Jayson Tatum had an inconsistent series against the Sixers, but when it mattered most, he absolutely delivered. Before moving on to that series though, here's a look at three key takeaways from Boston's dominant win. These two teams also met in the conference finals last season, and in the Orlando Bubble in 2020, so they're certainly familiar with each other.īoston won't have long to bask in its victory over Philadelphia, as that series is set to start on Wednesday. The Sixers now enter into what promises to be an eventful offseason, while the Celtics will move on to face off against the Miami Heat in the conference finals. When your two best players combine for 24 points, you're not going to win too many games, especially in the playoffs. Embiid shot just 5 of 18 and totaled 15 points and eight rebounds. Harden mustered just nine points, seven assists, six rebounds and five turnovers while shooting 3 of 11 from the floor. James Harden had an incredibly poor performance, and NBA MVP Joel Embiid wasn't much better. While Boston's stars showed up, Philadelphia's simply didn't, and that was the difference in the game. With Tatum singlehandedly shouldering so much of the scoring, the Celtics didn't need too much point production from the rest of the roster, but Jaylen Brown contributed 25 points, six rebounds and two assists in the win, and Boston out-scored Philly 33-10 in the third quarter to blow the game wide open. He also added 13 rebounds and five assists to his stat line. The Celtics star forward scored 51 points - besting Stephen Curry's recent NBA record for most points ever in a Game 7 - on 17-of-28 shooting from the floor. Tatum carried over the momentum from his strong fourth quarter in Game 6 and put together an absolutely dominant performance in the closeout game. The Celtics have now bested the Sixers in six straight playoff series dating back to 1985. Meanwhile, the 76ers - who have not been to the conference finals since 2001 - see their season come to an end in the second round for the third consecutive year. Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics crushed the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of their second-round series on Sunday afternoon, 112-88, to move on to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight season.
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