NEWSLETTER
The Boston Celtics didn’t need a full four quarters to secure their second consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearance, beating Philly 112-88.
Thanks to an absolutely dominant 3rd quarter where the team went on a 24-3 run and won the frame a staggering 33-10, the Celtics will face the Miami Heat for a chance at the NBA Finals.
Jayson Tatum followed up his 16-point 4th quarter in Game 6 with easily one of the best series-clinching performances in NBA history. He now holds the record for the most points in a Game 7 with 51, out-doing Stepehn Curry’s record-breaking performance of 50 points in Round 1 of these playoffs. Tatum shot 17-28 from the field with 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.
Meanwhile, the duo of Joel Embiid and James Harden simply couldn’t find their rhythm in a hostile road environment. The two combined for just 24 points, while the 76ers shot an abysmal 37.3 percent from the floor overall.
The series will add to a long list of Doc Rivers flameouts in the postseason. All the 76ers had to do to secure their first East Finals since the 2001-01 season was win one of the remaining two games. Instead, they let Boston win the 4th quarter of Game 6 24-13 in their building before getting punched in the mouth in Game 7.
As for the Celtics, they’ll now face the Heat in a rematch of last year’s East Finals. Boston nearly escaped the series in seven games, winning the final matchup 100-96 after Butler barely missed a 3 with 16 seconds left in the game. This should be a good one.
