Celtics take 3-0 series lead over 76ers with 102-94 win
By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com
Down two games to none, and up by two points in Game 3, Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers were just 100 seconds away from making their first-round showdown with the Boston Celtics a series.
But double-teamed by Jayson Tatum and Enes Kanter, Embiid threw the ball (and game) away to Marcus Smart, allowing the C’s to rattle off 10 straight points on their way to a 102-94 victory to go up 3-0.
(Yeah, it’s been that kind of series for the Sixers.)
Brett Brown lets his frustrations out on a chair going to locker room down 0-3 #Sixers pic.twitter.com/a6N6fqz7Zd
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) August 22, 2020
And make no mistake about it: This was as good as it was going to get for the Sixers. In addition to the fact that they held a late fourth-quarter lead despite some straight-up horrendous shooting numbers, the Sixers were gifted some early-game foul trouble from Celtics star Jayson Tatum, which took him out of action for the entire second quarter. Philadelphia ‘took advantage’ of that to the tune of a 25-25 draw in the frame, and found themselves down by two at the half.
It never got any better for ’em, either, as the Celtics held steady, while the Sixers’ lead never grew higher beyond one possession.
With Tatum limited in the first half, Kemba Walker emerged as Boston’s top scorer, and finished with a team-leading 24 points on 10-for-20 shooting (3-for-8 from deep) and eight assists in 35 minutes. He also iced the game with a step-back two over ex-Celtic Al Horford.
Kemba took it back to UConn for this one pic.twitter.com/eO3Y66V4lb
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) August 22, 2020
Killer.
“It’s really fun to be here and be a part of games like this, Walker, who won three total playoff games during his entire eight-year run with the Charlotte Hornets, said after the victory. “This is why I came.”
And as mentioned, this was a horrendous performance from the Sixers, with no shooter connecting on higher than 35 percent from the field (Embiid did that with a 7-for-20 night), and with starters Tobias Harris, Shake Milton, and Josh Richardson all finishing with double-digit misses and a combined 49 points behind a 17-for-54 effort from the floor.
WORST SHOOTING NIGHTS
— Sean Grande (@SeanGrandePBP) August 22, 2020
(NBA 2019-20)
.269 - Brooklyn (Vs. New York) - December 26
.295 - PHILADELPHIA (VS. BOSTON) - AUGUST 21
.299 - Chicago (Vs. Toronto) - October 26
.300 - Chicago (Vs. Charlotte) - December 13
.308 - Charlotte (At Indiana) - December 15
The Celtics will look to finish the Sixers in a Game 4 matinee this Sunday.
Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Yell at him on Twitter: @_TyAnderson.
