Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown Spark Celtics to Game 3 Triumph Over 76ers
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PHILADELPHIA — Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown delivered matching 25-point performances Friday night, steering the Boston Celtics to a 108-100 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Inside a packed Xfinity Mobile Arena, the All-Star duo either scored or assisted on Boston’s first 27 points of the fourth quarter. Tatum, continuing his comeback from last season’s torn Achilles tendon, knocked down a game-sealing three-pointer with 27 seconds left after Derrick White secured an offensive rebound. Brown added seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a key late-game steal.
Boston’s win gives the Celtics a 2-1 edge in the best-of-seven matchup. The contest featured a series of late haymakers from both sides, but second-chance points — Boston converted multiple fourth-quarter triples off offensive boards — proved decisive.
Three-Point Volume Returns
After shooting 13-for-50 from deep in Game 2, the Celtics stayed aggressive, finishing 20-for-47 behind the arc. White, still battling through a postseason slump from long range, hit only 1-of-5 threes but made two clinching free throws and grabbed the pair of offensive rebounds that set up Tatum’s dagger.
“Anybody that ever doubts D-White doesn’t really care about winning,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Those two rebounds were big-time.”
Maxey Leads Embiid-less Sixers
Tyrese Maxey paced Philadelphia with 31 points and six assists. The 76ers again played without center Joel Embiid, who remained sidelined two weeks after an emergency appendectomy in Houston. Coach Nick Nurse, whose team yielded “four or five” threes off offensive rebounds, called the battle on the glass the series’ top priority.
“We were in position to win,” Maxey said. “Watch the film, get better, and come back Sunday to even the series.”
Game 4 is set for Sunday night in Philadelphia.
Source: ESPN
