From the 4:14 mark of the fourth quarter in Game 6 Thursday through 48 minutes of Game 7 Sunday, Boston star Jayson Tatum stole Philadelphia’s soul.
Ending Game 6 with 16 fourth quarter points in a victory that forced Game 7, Tatum scored 51 points, the most in NBA Game 7 history, and had 13 rebounds, five assists and two steals in the Celtics’ 112-88 victory in the final game of this Eastern Conference semifinals series.
Golden State’s Steph Curry had just set the record with 50 points in Game 7 against Sacramento on April 30. Curry’s record lasted two weeks.
It was the eighth Game 7 matchup between the two franchises – most in NBA history – and Boston improved to 6-2.
The Celtics play Miami in the conference finals for the second consecutive season. Game 1 is Wednesday in Boston (8:30 p.m. ET, TNT), and the Celtics are trying to repeat as East champs.
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Jaylen Brown added 25 points for Boston.
Tatum proves why he is All-NBA
The Celtics trailed 3-2 following Philadelphia’s Game 5 victory, but Tatum ensured the Celtics didn’t have a disappointing exit. His late-game shooting saved Boston in Game 6, and his dominant, MVP-like performance Sunday backed up his All-NBA selection and classification as one of the league’s best players.
Through three quarters, Tatum had 42 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and one steal, and he outscored Philadelphia 17-10 in the third quarter when the Celtics took a 55-52 halftime lead and turned it into an 88-62 lead headed into the fourth quarter.
Before Tatum took over in Game 6, he was just 1-for-14 late in the fourth quarter. He finished strong, and it carried over to the next game.
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Celtics vs. Heat in conference finals
The Celtics will need All-NBA Tatum against the Heat, who lost Game 7 of the conference finals at home last season.
Miami is a surprise team, advancing to the conference finals as the No. 8 seed. But the Heat have found just enough offense to go along with their stellar defense. They beat No. 1 seed Milwaukee in the first round and No. 5 seed New York in the conference semifinals. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo lead a collection of hard-working players who fit Miami’s system.
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Boston’s Game 7 performance is a reason why it was among the favorites to win the title this season. Can it find the consistency needed against the Heat and beyond? The Celtics certainly have the talent and experience with Tatum, Brown, Al Horford, Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Robert Williams and Malcolm Brogdon, but they lack depth. Just seven players received minutes through 3½ quarters Sunday.
One compelling angle: the coaches. Boston’s Joe Mazzulla is in his first season as a head coach, and that lack of experience showed at times in the first two rounds. Miami’s Erik Spoelstra is one of the best coaches in the league and has won two titles and 104 playoff games.
The Sixers come up short again
Philadelphia had the third-best regular-season record (54-28) in the league, three games behind Boston and four games behind Milwaukee, and Joel Embiid won his first MVP.
But that didn’t translate into the playoff success the Sixers wanted.
Philadelphia has made the playoffs six consecutive seasons but have not advanced beyond the second round. The Sixers last reached the conference finals in 2001, the same year Allen Iverson led them to the Finals.
The Sixers acquired James Harden last season, but it didn’t help the Sixers progress. Harden had his moments (45 points in Game 1, 42 points in Game 4) but not enough moments alongside Embiid, who played the series with a sprained right knee. Embiid had 15 points on 5-for-18 shooting, and Harden had nine points on 3-for-11 shooting in Game 7.
President of basketball operations Daryl Morey faces critical decisions in the offseason with the roster and Coach Doc Rivers, who fell to 6-10 in Game 7s.
