Jayson Tatum comes alive after brutal start, Celtics stun 76ers to force Game 7 in Boston
Jayson Tatum was nearing the end of a horrible offensive game. He started the game 0-for-11 from the field, missing all 10 shots he attempted in the first half.
He was 1-for-14 late in the fourth quarter, and the Boston Celtics trailed with their season on the line.
However, when the Celtics needed points, Tatum, an All-NBA wing, delivered. He found just enough offense late in the game to help the Boston Celtics force Game 7. Boston defeated Philadelphia 95-86 in Game 6 Thursday, setting up a winner-take-all finale in their Eastern Conference semifinal series Sunday in Boston.
Tatum finished with 19 points — 16 in the fourth — nine rebounds, six assists, two blocks and two steals. Marcus Smart led the Celtics with 22 points, and Jaylen Brown added 17 points.
Tatum’s consecutive 3-pointers in the fourth put the Celtics ahead 87-83, a lead they held onto in the final 3:35. He made two mores 3s in the fourth, giving the Celtics a 95-84 advantage. Tatum outscored the Sixers by three points in the fourth quarter.
Boston ended the game on a 14-3 run, and six of the seven Celtics players who played had at least six rebounds, leading to a 50-38 rebounding edge.
"Humbly, I'm one of the best basketball players in the world," Tatum said in an on-court interview with ESPN after the game. "Go through struggles, go through slumps. It's a long game. Thankful I've got some great teammates that held it down... They all trust me, right? They tell me 'keep taking great looks, it's going to fall. Keep impacting the game in other ways.'
"And all that matters was we won this game. Give ourselves another chance, come back home for Game 7."
Game 7 has implications for both teams, who entered the playoffs with championship aspirations. The winner will play the winner of the Miam-New York series in the conference finals.
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Boston owned a 16-point second quarter lead, squandered it and then rallied for the victory.
Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey each scored 26 points for the Sixers, who let a golden opportunity to reach the conference finals for the first time since 2001 slip away.