Inspired by Joel Embiid’s MVP ceremony, Jayson Tatum powers Boston Celtics to Game 3 win over Philadelphia 76ers
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Jayson Tatum during the first quarter in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals on Friday.
PHOTO: AFP
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PHILADELPHIA – Joel Embiid’s coronation as the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the Wells Fargo Centre in Philadelphia ended up inspiring Jayson Tatum, as he tallied 27 points and 10 rebounds to fuel the visiting Boston Celtics to a 114-102 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.
Tatum bounced back from a seven-point performance in Game 2 by making 10 of 20 shots from the floor for the second-seeded Celtics, who have won two games in a row to claim a 2-1 edge in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-final series. Game 4 is on Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia.
Before the game, Sixers centre Embiid accepted his MVP trophy from NBA commissioner Adam Silver amid a raucous home crowd chanting “M-V-P”.
Tatum usually departs the floor after the buzzer rings out at the end of warm-ups, but hearing the ceremony still taking place, he decided to watch Embiid accept the trophy on a TV screen.
He told ESPN: “It just got me really ready to play. You could feel the energy from the crowd and the building. I’m happy for (Embiid). He earned it, he deserved it, but I was just focused on trying to win tonight.”
On the four-time All-Star, his Boston teammate Malcolm Brogdon added: “He played a terrific game all round, but he finished a tough game on the road in a hostile environment for us. That’s what superstars do... he made the right read time and time again.”
Jaylen Brown added 23 points and Al Horford scored 17 for the Celtics, who regained home-court advantage with a second straight victory after dropping Game 1 in Boston.
Embiid scored 30 points with 13 rebounds and four blocked shots in his second game back from a sprained knee.
Said Brown: “We know how dominant Embiid is and can be, and we know how if those other guys get going, how deadly the Sixers can be.
“So we just ultimately wanted to be better on defence and make it harder for everybody. And I think our pressure and intensity the last two games have done that.”
Philadelphia’s James Harden and Tyrese Maxey struggled. Harden connected on just three of 14 shots on the way to 16 points while Maxey scored 13 points on four-for-16 shooting.
Following his 45-point heroics in Embiid’s absence in Game 1, Harden’s combined five-for-28 shooting in the next two games is the “worst output in that span in his career”, according to ESPN.
The 33-year-old guard said the Celtics have not done anything to slow him down in the last two games, but Brogdon said: “We’re purposefully making it hard on him. He came out in Game 1 and won them that game and played terrific.
“We don’t want him to play like that any more, so we got to be as physical as we can with him. Force him into tough shots, make him uncomfortable and really learn to compete.”
Embiid’s advice to his teammate for overcoming that – “be aggressive”.
He told ESPN: “You keep telling him to keep shooting. Be aggressive. Can’t get too high, can’t get too low.
“Some nights you’re going to make lots of other shots, a lot of tough ones, and some nights you’re not going to make them. So it’s about finding other ways to impact the game.”
Geared up for the hostile environment at the Wells Fargo Centre, the Celtics got off to a quick start, powering to a 14-4 lead.
The Sixers, however, kept it close and led by one after the first quarter. They could not maintain the momentum, however. They were down by seven at half-time and never led after the break.
Embiid’s tip-in basket with seconds remaining pulled Philadelphia to within four points. But Horford responded with a three-pointer and Tatum sank a turnaround basket and the Celtics were up by nine again, ending a Philadelphia fightback.
Said Embiid: “I got to be better. We all got to be better. We just haven’t been good enough the last two games. No sense of urgency... it’s the small things.
“We’ve been fine guarding them in the half-court. It’s loose-ball situations, offensive rebounds, and they knock down a three or they score off of it and it just changes everything.” AFP, REUTERS
