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Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics

Jayson Tatum overcomes off night with late flurry in Celtics’ Game 6 win over 76ers

Avatar photo By Matt Dolloff
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 11: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket against P.J. Tucker #17 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter in game six of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in the 2023 NBA Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center on May 11, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Jayson Tatum woke up in the fourth quarter after another dreadful offensive start, powering the Celtics on a late run to pull away from the Philadelphia 76ers and win Game 6 at the Wells Fargo Center by a 95-86 final.

After having just seven points in the first 43:46 of the game, Tatum ripped off 12 points on four three-pointers in the final 4:14, as the C’s closed on a 14-6 run to extend their second-round playoff series. Tatum finished with 19 points, on just 5-for-21 shooting (23.8 percent) from the field, but certainly picked a good time to come to life.

  • The Celtics did get the strong start they needed as a team overall, with 29 points on 10-for-22 shooting, including 6-for-9 from three. Amid yet another quiet scoring start from Tatum, the Celtics’ bench lifted him up, led by Malcolm Brogdon’s 11 first-quarter points.

    Even as Tatum struggled well into the second quarter, the Celtics’ guard trio of Brogdon, Marcus Smart, and Derrick White picked up a lot of the slack offensively. They combined for 34 first-half points on 72.2 percent shooting, and the C’s held a massive 19-3 advantage in bench points at halftime.

  • Tatum finished the first half with one point, off a free throw. He was 0-for-10 shooting from the floor, 0-fo-4 from three. He did pull down a team-high seven first-half rebounds, leading an area in which the C’s had an admirable half as a team. Boston out-rebounded Philly 27-26 overall in the first half.

    The Celtics’ team defense in the paint was a major story of the first two quarters, bolstered by a lineup change that had big man Robert Williams in as a starter. They held Joel Embiid to 12 points on just 3-for-9 from the field. It helped them build a lead as big as 16, but a late 13-4 run by the Sixers made it 50-43 at halftime.

  • Tatum finally scored his first field goal of the game with 8:34 left in the third quarter, on his 12th attempt, to put the Celtics up 60-50. But that turned out to be the moment that the 76ers really started battling back into the game.

    Philly ripped off a 19-5 run to take a 69-65 lead, powered by balanced scoring and a cold streak for Boston. The Celtics went a span of 7:20 without making a field goal in the third, and also committed four turnovers in that timeframe. Ultimately, the 76ers took a 73-71 lead into the fourth quarter.

  • The fourth quarter featured seven lead changes, but once the Celtics took an 84-83 lead on Tatum’s first of his four late threes, they never looked back. The late rally now forces Philadelphia back to Massachusetts for Game 7.

    That decisive seventh game is set for Sunday at TD Garden, with tipoff time to be determined.

  • Click here for complete Boston Celtics coverage at 985TheSportsHub.com.

    Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt’s content here.

NEXT: Will Jayson Tatum Ever Have His LeBron James Moment?

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