PHILADELPHIA — Jayson Tatum buried the 3-pointer that gave Boston the lead with 1.3 seconds left and shuffled back to the defense before turning to greet his teammates and — sorry! — a 70-foot shot went over his head and into the basket.
Joel Embiid shook his head.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla needed a second look to know the Celtics were in the clear and wasn’t positive until they “showed it on the Jumbotron.”
Time to celebrate.
Tatum hit the game-winning 3 that capped Boston’s comeback from 15 points down in the third quarter and finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds and six assists to help the Celtics hold on for a 110-107 win against Philadelphia on Saturday night .
“I dream about making those shots,” Tatum said. “The worst thing that can happen is missing you.”
Hello, you didn’t miss it.
Jaylen Brown scored 26 points, Derrick White added 18 and Al Horford hit five game-changing 3s for 15 points.
“Our guys were there,” Mazzulla said. “They’ve been through it all.”
Embiid finished with 41 points and 12 rebounds. He also made 17 of 18 free throws. James Harden scored 21 points and Tobias Harris 19.
The thriller of the final game proved worthy of a showdown between two of the top teams in the East.
Boston, however, proved they are still the team to beat.
The Sixers dug deep by five with 3 minutes left. With the flourish “MVP! MVP!” chants that filled the arena, Embiid hit two free throws and followed with a jumper that pulled the Sixers within one. Embiid then blocked Brown’s layup and Tyrese Maxey went the other way for a driving layup that sent another packed house into a frenzy.
Horford, once considered a key cog in the 76ers’ championship chase, instead hit the clutch 3-pointer inside the Wells Fargo Center that the city craved from him in 2019-20. He put the Celtics up by two points and a Tatum bucket made it 107-103.
Harden and Embiid made four straight free throws that tied the game and sent all the fans — there was an abundance of green in the stands — on edge.
Tatum, however, calmly hit a 3 to put Boston ahead. Embiid then heaved one up from inside the opposing 3-point line and dunked through the basket — just after the horn.
“I had a feeling it wouldn’t count,” Tatum said. “But it’s the NBA, right? Anything can happen.”
Not tonight for the Sixers.
“Unfortunately, the story of my life,” Embiid said.
Tatum celebrated by giving his game-worn jersey to Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver — and noted Celtics fan — DeVonta Smith.
The 76ers had another packed house and fans were fired up by warmups for a game with a definite playoff feel. Both teams came out firing – each hitting four 3s and shooting at least 50 percent in the first quarter. The scoring exchanges were so one-sided that the Celtics went on a 20-4 run to only lead 39-32.
The Sixers came into this one with something to prove after a miserable effort in a 106-99 loss earlier this month in Boston. The Eastern Conference champion Celtics remain the class of the conference. The Sixers are still out to show under coach Doc Rivers that they are more than a 50-win, second-round exit team. They will need Embiid to lead the way. After a rough shooting night against Memphis on Thursday, Embiid had an MVP-worthy game! MVP!” chants that surprised him on every trip to the free throw line.
Bullied during the lane for big buckets. Embiid’s 3-pointer late in the fourth extended the lead to 11, and he had an assist on De’Anthony Melton’s 3-pointer on the next possession.
Horford made three straight 3s to bring Boston back into the game. Horford’s fourth-quarter 3 capped an 18-3 run and helped the Celtics take an 80-78 lead to three.
“It’s not extra motivation,” Horford said of his return. “It’s just fun. These are the games you want to be a part of.”
