Tatum (51 Pts) Sets NBA Gm. 7 Record As Celts Eviscerate 76ers 112-88 To Reach ECF Vs. Heat

 

    For the second year in a row and the fifth time in the last seven seasons, the Celtics are going to the Eastern Conference Finals. How they got there this time was the crazy part as Boston's superstar swingman Jayson Tatum erupted for a 51-point, 13 rebounds, five assists and two steals masterpiece as the C's broke open a close Game 7 this afternoon at TD Garden with a 28-3 run in the third quarter which pushed them over the finish line 112-88 over the Sixers. Their reward is a rematch with the Miami Heat who they memorably beat in seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals last season. After trailing 3-2 in this series (just like last year when they were down 3-2 to Milwaukee in the second round), it was a very Happy Mother's Day for the Celtics led by Tatum who had the game of his young life while also setting an NBA record for the most points ever in a Game 7. 

    Philadelphia actually got off to a very solid start as they led 29-23 after the first quarter before Boston rallied for a 55-52 halftime advantage. The third quarter-where the Celtics outscored the Sixers 33-10-is the type of playoff frame that gets head coaches fired. Then again, if you were Philly's head coach Doc Rivers, would you want to continue to work with noted dogs and playoff chokers like MVP Joel Embiid (15 points, 8 rebounds) and former MVP James Harden (9 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals) who both rolled over and let this blowout transpire without any sort of fight back? What would have been an extremely rough off-season for Tatum if the C's had lost will likewise be a deservedly unkind summer for Doc, Embiid and Harden since the Sixers blew a golden chance to reach the franchise's first Eastern Conference Finals since way back in 2001.

    This will forever be remembered as "The Tatum Game" but Boston also got a solid performance from its other star-shooting guard Jaylen Brown who had his face bloodied but did not slow down as he added 25 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Tatum did what true superstars and (future?) MVPs do in Game 7s by putting his team on his back. The only other Celtic who scored in double figures was backup point guard Malcolm Brogdon who notched 12 points off the bench. Did I mention that Sixers power forward Tobias Harris led them with 19 points and five rebounds? Haha what else needs to be said about a gutless team that also received 17 points from point guard Tyrese Maxey and 11 points from wily veteran forward P.J. Tucker? 

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals is on Wednesday (8:30, TNT) at the Garden and there will be no extra days off as each contest will be two days apart with the same exact start time. Heat superstar Jimmy Butler needs no introduction but this is yet another series where Boston rightfully enters it as a heavy betting favorite. Interestingly enough with Lakers-Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals tipping off on Tuesday (8:30, ESPN), this is the exact same final four that the NBA got in the 2020 bubble playoffs. Let's not get ahead of ourselves but it would be fantastic to see another Celtics-Lakers NBA Finals. More importantly, the Celtics have to quickly shift their focus to a team that while missing its sniper shooting guard Tyler Herro is still tougher and markedly better than the Hawks and Sixers. Boston is once again the superior team on paper but Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra is maybe the best in the game so if the C's slip up, Miami could certainly upset them and reach the NBA Finals just like they did in 2020. 

Tatum (19 Pts) Wakes Up In The 4th Quarter As The Celts Survive Game 6 Vs. The Sixers, 95-86

 

    With his team's season on the brink, Celtics superstar small forward Jayson Tatum (19 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks)-named to the All-NBA First Team on Thursday-was nowhere to be found for the first three quarters of Game 6 tonight at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. He started 0-for-10 from the floor and then 1-for-14 before he finally woke up with four clutch three-pointers in the fourth quarter. Luckily for him and the C's, NBA playoff games are still at least four quarters long so the same guy who was a puddle with three (!!!!) points in the first 36 minutes, was somehow the same guy who outscored the Sixers by himself 16-13 as the Celtics locked down Philly for a heart-stopping 95-86 victory to tie the series 3-3. Game 7 of their roller coaster second round playoff series will be on Sunday at TD Garden (time and channel TBD), Happy Mother's Day! The winner of that deciding contest will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals vs. either Miami or New York (the Heat are currently up 3-2 in that playoff series). 

    Celtics head coach Bazooka Joe Mazzulla was under immense pressure as well entering this game (not quite as much as Tatum but still the microscope was squarely on the seemingly overmatched rookie head coach) but to his credit, he responded with a brilliant lineup change: he started center Robert Williams (10 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks) over guard Derrick White (9 points) for Boston's vaunted double big lineup. It worked perfectly as the C's got off to a great start: they led 29-22 after the first quarter and 50-43 at halftime after being up by as much as 16 points in the first half. Philly made their move in the third quarter-outscoring Boston 30-21-to take a two-point advantage (73-71) into the final frame. Only seven Celtics played in Game 6 but they all made valuable contributions. Point guard Marcus Smart was their best all-around player with a team-high 22 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Shooting guard Jaylen Brown-part of his first All-NBA Team (the 2nd)-added 17 points and six rebounds while power forward Al Horford grabbed 11 rebounds. 

    The Sixers really only had two guys that did much of anything: MVP center Joel Embiid had a game-high 26 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks while point guard Tyrese Maxey matched him with 26 points, five rebounds and three steals. Playoff James Harden was in full effect as he stumbled his way to just 13 points (on 4-of-16 shooting), nine assists, seven rebounds and three steals. The rest of Philadelphia combined for 21 points which needless to say will not get it done in a potential close out game against a legitimate opponent. This was the second time in the series that the Celtics held the Sixers in the 80s (they scored 87 in the blowout Game 2 loss) so it is no surprise that Boston shot 42.3% from the floor and Philadelphia bricked their way to 36.1%. The Celtics made seven more 3-pointers (15-8), pulled down 12 more rebounds (50-38), dished out four more assists (22-18) and scored six more fast break points (24-18) than the flawed home team. Boston survived despite having six more turnovers (17-11) which led to seven more steals for Philadlephia (14-7). That is a tough way to live and they will have to clean that up for Game 7 if they want to continue their postseason journey. 

Speaking of Sunday, who really knows what to expect from either club? Philly won Game 1, Boston took Games 2 and 3, the Sixers won Game 4 in OT then shocked the Celtics in Game 5 before the C's responded in Game 6 when their backs were officially against the wall. For historical context, the Sixers have not been to the Eastern Conference Final since 2001 with Allen Iverson. Conversely, Boston is trying to get back there for the second season in a row and the third time in the last four years. Remember that the Celtics are only 1-2 at the Garden in this series (and 3-3 in this postseason) so simply being at home does not make this an automatic victory. Let's hope that this series keeps mirroring last season for Boston in this spot vs. Milwaukee where they won Game 6 on the road then came home to beat them in Game 7. They never seem to make things easy on themselves but if the Celts can just win on Sunday, that will make us feel a whole lot better (at least temporarily).

After Not Showing Up In Game 5, The Celtics Are Now On The Brink Of Elimination Vs. The Sixers

 

    In the biggest game of the season, Boston never showed any type of urgency and as a result, they fell flat on their face 115-103 to Philadelphia tonight at TD Garden. The Sixers now have a stunning 3-2 lead in their second round playoff series with a chance to send the Celtics home for the summer on Thursday (7:30, ESPN) back at the Wells Fargo Center. There is absolutely no excuse for the Celts as they got off to another fatal slow start and never recovered as NBA MVP and Philly's star center Joel Embiid (team-high 33 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks) dominated them along with the Sixers' very talented young point guard Tyrese Maxey (30 points, 7 rebounds) who had by far his best performance of this postseason. Boston's stars-small forward Jayson Tatum (game-high 36 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals) and shooting guard Jaylen Brown (24 points, 6 rebounds)-had nice numbers on paper but their team trailed by as much as 21 points so that all seems pretty hollow in reality.

    For a team that was a whisker away from a 3-1 series lead on Sunday, this is quite a dramatic change for the C's. They never really displayed any type of pulse as Philly led 33-26 after the first quarter and 58-49 at halftime. Nothing changed for the better in the third quarter as Philadelphia outscored Boston 30-23 and they cruised to a surprisingly easy road victory in the all-important Game 5 on the road. Keep in mind, when in NBA history when a playoff series has been tied 2-2, the team that has won Game 5 has gone on to win that series 82% of the time. Sixers shooting guard James Harden (17 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds, 2 steals) and power forward Tobias Harris (16 points, 11 rebounds) both recorded double doubles in the win while shooting guard Danuel House Jr. added 10 points and five rebounds off the bench for Philly. Point guard Marcus Smart was the only other Celtic to score in double figures but he just had 14 points and shot 2-of-7 from the floor. 

    Boston's lack of energy all night and the way that they simply rolled over against what we thought was an inferior opponent is beyond scary. Yes, the Celtics rallied from a 3-2 deficit in this same exact spot last season against Milwaukee but it is tough to continue to live like this and expect to survive it again and again. The Celtics' defense has been a major weakness in this series (and truthfully all playoffs long) since the Sixers have scored 115+ points in each of their victories. Boston also fell to 3-3 at home in this postseason which will never get it done. Philadelphia wanted it more as they grabbed a whopping 13 more rebounds (49-36) than the home team and thanks to Embiid, they blocked four more shots (5-1). All series long, the C's have driven to the rim only to get stuffed by Embiid, maybe they could adjust to that a bit more?  Philly also had 10 more fast break points (15-5) than Boston which is hard to explain since head coach Doc Rivers' team plays a pretty deliberate style other than Maxey. 

    There will be so much on the line in Game 6 for the Celtics: head coach Joe Mazzulla's job should most definitely be in jeopardy if they lose and more importantly, we would have to wonder if Tatum and Brown will ever get it done together since they seemingly could not ask for a better path to an NBA title than what has unfolded for them this postseason at least in the Eastern Conference. Seeing the Bruins pull a Bruins and choke in the first round of the playoffs after a record setting regular season was bad enough but watching the Celtics piss away this wonderful opportunity would be arguably even harder to take since the NBA is typically so much more predictable and driven by its stars.

The Celtics Beat Themselves As The Sixers Escape Game 4 With 116-115 OT Win To Tie Series 2-2

 

    Anybody that has ever watched the NBA can tell you that every detail and a single possession or two can be the difference between winning and losing an important playoff game. Apparently the Celtics' woefully overmatched head coach Joe Mazzulla has not received that crash course yet as his team blew a golden opportunity to take a stranglehold of its second round series vs. Philadelphia. Instead of coming home with a 3-1 series lead, the series is knotted up 2-2 following Philadelphia's 116-115 overtime victory this afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center. There are a million ways to breakdown this utterly predictable loss by the Celts but it really came down to this: their point guard Marcus Smart (21 points, 7 assists) had a chance to win it at the end of regulation but he missed a 3-pointer and then their superstar small forward Jayson Tatum (24 points, 18 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 blocks) could have taken a shot at the end of overtime that would have clinched it but instead, he took too long then threw it out to Smart for a three that he could not shoot in time before time ran out. Ugh. 

    For all the crowing we hear non-stop from the team, fans and bobo media members about how Tatum and Boston's star shooting guard Jaylen Brown (23 points, 5 assists) are the best tandem in the league, that sure was not the case in Game 4. Philadelphia's much-maligned shooting guard James Harden (game-high 42 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds, 4 steals) and the NBA's MVP center Joel Embiid (34 points, 13 rebounds) dominated the contest and outscored Boston's dynamic duo 76-47. You cannot argue that the Celtics have a deeper roster but playoff games are usually decided by star players and there was no question which pair was ready for this moment and which one came up short yet again in a key spot. If Tatum and Brown are as good as we think that they are (or maybe can be), they simply cannot lose this series to a washed up/playoff choker like Harden and out of shape/injury prone Embiid.

    Truth be told, if the C's had somehow pulled this off, it would have been a miracle since they sleepwalked through much of the proceedings. They trailed 27-19 after the first quarter and 59-50 at halftime when it felt like it should have been much more in favor of the Sixers. Despite being up by as much as 16 points and playing to a draw in the third quarter (33-33), you knew that Philly would have a hard time closing it out since they are not a very good team after all. True to form, Boston stormed back in the fourth quarter (24-15) with an excellent defensive frame (finally!) but it was still not enough to prevent overtime.

    Both teams only played eight guys apiece in the entire game and point guard Tyrese Maxey (14 points, 8 rebounds) was the only other Sixer to score in double figures. Boston's guard Derrick White added 12 points while center Al Horford (10 points, 7 rebounds, 5 blocks) was immense defensively. Sixth Man of the Year and backup point guard Malcolm Brogdon (19 points, 8 rebounds) continued to play great as he earned more minutes (36-31) off the bench than White who hasn't been nearly as effective as he was in the first round series against Atlanta. I know that little Joey will not do it but starting Brogdon over White in Game 5 seems like a nice lineup change to me but what do I know?

    Just like many other times in the up and down regular season (which sounds crazy for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and NBA title favorite) and thus far in the playoffs, the C's will always be their own worst enemy-somewhere the 90s one-hit wonder band Lit smiles. They owned many of the stats in Game 4 except the most critical: the Sixers had three times as many steals (9-3), they committed three less turnovers (10-7), they hit three more free throws (19-16) and scored 10 more second chance points (19-9) than the Celtics. Game 5 on Tuesday (7:30, TNT) at TD Garden is obviously the biggest game of the season for the C's and like Game 2, it feels like a pseudo must-win because if they go down 3-2, it is tough to see them winning two elimination games with how all over the place they tend to be. 

Boston Regains Home Court Advantage With A Thorough 114-102 Victory In Game 3 At Philly

 

    The Celtics kept the positive momentum going tonight in Philadelphia as they picked up an impressive 114-102 win at the Wells Fargo Center in Game 3 of the second round to take a 2-1 series lead. Boston improved to 3-1 on the road in these playoffs while they also handed Philadelphia their first home loss of the postseason. It was a true team victory for the C's since all five starters scored in double figures led by star small forward Jayson Tatum (27 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals) and star shooting guard Jaylen Brown (23 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists). Sixers center Joel Embiid (game-high 30 points, 13 rebounds, 4 blocks) was presented with his NBA MVP award before the game but none of his teammates could really step up to help him most notably shooting guard James Harden (16 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds) who continued to be ice cold from the floor (3-for-14) for the second game in a row. The C's will have a great chance to really take a stranglehold in the series on Sunday afternoon (3:30, ESPN) in Philly. 

    They never built up a huge lead-the most that they led by all game was only 13 points-but Boston is clearly the better and deeper club and it showed in Game 3 as they had control for most of the contest. Philadelphia was up 29-28 after the first quarter but Boston took a 57-50 lead into halftime after center Al Horford's (17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals) clutch buzzer-beating 3-pointer. The Celts kept it going in the third quarter (31-27) and sealed it with a solid fourth quarter (26-25). Boston just has too many weapons when compared to the more limited Sixers. Point guard Marcus Smart added 15 points and three steals for the winners while shooting guard Derrick White scored 13 points with six rebounds and backup point guard Malcolm Brogdon-the reigning Sixth Man of the Year-tossed in 15 points and six assists off the bench.

    Behind Embiid, I think that Philly's lightning fast point guard Tyrese Maxey (13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks) is the only other guy that you really fear these days but he was held in check in Game 3 going 4-for-16 from the floor. Shooting guard De'Anthony Melton scored 14 points off the bench and Haverhill's own small forward Georges Niang added 10 points but neither of those guys is capable of doing much more damage than that in a tight playoff game. For once, it was nice to see Boston's defense propel them this postseason as they shot 44.2% from the field while Philly was under 40% (39.7%). The C's grabbed three more rebounds (45-42) and handed out for more assists (25-21) than the Sixers. Boston also had two more steals (9-7), four more points in the paint (32-28), four more second chance points (11-7) and eight more fast break points (15-7). None of those statistics sound like much but when you add them all up on the road in a tough environment, they can be the difference between a 2-1 series lead or trailing 2-1 which would completely change the complexion of Game 4 for both teams. 

    Speaking of that, let's hope that the Celtics have finally learned their lessons from the regular season not to mention the Hawks first round series and they can continue to shut the door on the overmatched Sixers. There is no need to go any further than five games with Philadelphia who has no business reaching the Eastern Conference Final this year. Boston has the blueprint to defeat Philly: Embiid can have a big game but as long as the Sixers' others are contained, the C's should take a commanding 3-1 series lead with a chance to close it out back at TD Garden on Tuesday. The Celtics are the best team remaining in the East no doubt and maybe in the NBA so it is nice to see them finally start to play like that on a consistent basis.

In Tonight's Episode Of Boston Sports Failure, The Celtics Dropped Game 1 To The Sixers 119-115

 

    So apparently we live in sports hell now. For the second straight night, we were treated to an excruciating setback for the home team as this time the Celtics did the honors by losing Game 1 of their second round playoff series to the Sixers 119-115 at TD Garden. Philly's superstar center Joel Embiid (knee) was out and the Celts were a 10.5 point favorite, therefore no problem right? Nothing is certain though with this ultra talented but bipolar club. Sixers shooting guard James Harden tied his playoff career-high with 45 points (including the dagger go-ahead 3-pointer pictured above). Game 2 is Wednesday (8, TNT) back at the Garden and Embiid could return then, gulp. I am still confident that Boston will win the series but why do they keep making things more difficult on themselves? 

    When we take a step back like Harden (sorry), this result is not surprising at all especially considering how Boston repeatedly stumbled in the first round vs. Atlanta. Despite multiple players that are considered good defenders, their team defense is currently a complete mess. I know that every team scores 100+ points in each game in the NBA these days but this is getting ridiculous for the C's. Besides losing home court advantage right away in this series, the Celtics wasted a fantastic performance by its star small forward Jayson Tatum (team-high 39 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists) along with a team shooting performance that seems impossible to lose with-58.7% from the floor and 17-of-18 from the free throw line. Turnovers absolutely killed them as they had a whopping 10 more (16-6) than Philadelphia which simply cannot happen in the postseason if you hope to win anything.

    Harden was the headliner but the others on the Sixers also stepped up with the likely NBA MVP sitting on the sidelines. Point guard Tyrese Maxey scored 26 points, power forward Tobias Harris added 18 points and five rebounds while something named Paul Reed had a double-double (10 points, 13 rebounds) as Embiid's dollar store replacement. Finally, shooting guard De'Anthony Melton scored 17 points off the bench for Philly. Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown started out fast and finished with 23 points and six rebounds, point guard Marcus Smart added 12 points and seven assists (but also 6 turnovers) and center Al Horford notched 11 points and six rebounds. Guard Malcolm Brogdon (20 points) was great off the bench but he couldn't entirely make up for shooting guard Derrick White's (4 points) worst game of the playoffs and maybe the entire season. 

    In a high scoring first quarter, the Celts couldn't miss and they led 38-31 but it was all downhill from there as the Sixers took each of the final three quarters. Philadelphia cut it to 66-63 at halftime and it was tied at 87 going into the last frame. Philly hit seven more 3-pointers (17-10) and had seven more steals (10-3) than the hosts which led to seven more points off turnovers (20-13). The Celtics pulled down 10 more rebounds (38-28), dished out nine more assists (26-17), they scored 24 more points in the paint (66-42!!!!!) and four more fast break points (14-10) and yet somehow they still found a way to lose on their home court. I refuse to panic and call Game 2 a must-win (YAWN!) but yikes, things would get pretty sketchy if the Sixers can take a 2-0 lead in the series.