By DJ Harding –
After going down 3-2 and Jayson Tatum struggling in the first quarter of games four through six the Celtics dreams of Banner 18 or as their slogan for this playoffs said unfinished business seemed all but over.
After coming alive with 16 points in the last six minutes of game six Tatum would force Game 7 in Boston.
Despite not scoring a point in the first quarter of his last three games Tatum would have his best playoff performance when Boston needed it most.
Tatum would score 51 points breaking the record for most points in a Game 7 breaking Stephen Curry’s record from two weeks ago.
Hitting six threes and shooting 17 for 28 from the field Tatum would help send Boston to their second straight Eastern Conference Finals.
The other half of the star Celtics Duo Jaylen Brown would score 25 given the duo 76 combined points in the 112-88 win.
Malcolm Brogdon would score 12 points and be the only other Celtic in double figures.
The Current MVP Joel Embiid would only score 15 points which is half of his regular season average as the 76ers would be eliminated from the playoffs.
This is Philadelphia’s third straight Game 7 loss as Embiid now has a 3-12 record against Boston in the postseason.
James Harden would also struggle scoring 9 points in the pivotal game as the 76ers come up just short of the Conference Finals another year with their last time being their in 2001
Philadelphia’s top two scorers Tobias Harris (19 points) and Tyreese Maxey (17 points) kept the 76ers in the game through the third quarter with the game tied at 55.
Boston would then go on a 33-5 run going up by 26 points and taking an 88-62 lead.
Tatum postgame would thank his mom in the audience and wish her a happy Mother’s Day which it indeed was for Celtics fans.
The Boston Celtics will take their fifth conference finals trip in seven years. Boston will now face Miami for the second straight year in the conference finals.
Game 1 will be in Boston on Wednesday as the Celtics hood the home court and attempt to make back to back finals appearances and keep the banner 18 dream alive.
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