That was intriguing, wasn’t it? I’m referring to the Philadelphia 76ers’ 116-115 overtime victory over the Boston Celtics on Sunday, which tied the series at 2-2.
On Tuesday night, the action returns to Boston for game 5 of the series, widely considered to be the series’ clincher. in 7:30 p.m. EDT, the ball will be dropped in TD Garden.
Update Injury for Philadelphia 76ers – Boston Celtics
There was much to like about the Celtics’ 116-115 overtime loss to the Sixers in game 4 on Sunday afternoon, but Celtics supporters left with a bad taste in their mouths.
They rallied from a second-half deficit to seize the lead, headed by Jayson Tatum, who had an outstanding all-around performance. But, with a chance to win, the Celtics failed to get a shot off in the final possession.
Talk about aggravating. Some believe Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla should have called a timeout to set up a play there. Her left it in Tatum’s hands, who fiddled and diddled for much too long, and the Celtics didn’t even get a shot off in time.
Tatum finished with 24 points (9-20 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 5-7 FT), 18 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 blocks, and 1 steal.
Tatum led the squad in scoring and rebounding, coming up two boards short of a 20-point, 20-rebound performance.
Tatum has at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in three of the four games this series, setting a playoff record.
The Philadelphia 76ers owe it to James Harden to keep this series knotted at 2-2. Overall, the Celtics have outperformed the Sixers, but Harden has won two games on his own.
Harden was the team’s leader in scoring, assists, and steals.
He scored 45 points in the startling game 1 upset in Boston, and 42 points in the game 4 overtime thriller, including the game-winning three.
Meanwhile, in Game 4, Joel Embiid had a double-double.
The Sixers’ star scored 34 points (11-26 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 12-15 FT), grabbed 13 rebounds, had four assists, and one steal.
In a double-double performance, Embiid led all 76ers in rebounds while also ending as one of two players with 30 or more points.
Embiid has produced two straight 30-point double-doubles in the series versus Boston, his highest scoring total of the postseason thus far.
Embiid (knee) is questionable for Game 5 on Tuesday.
Embiid missed two games earlier in the postseason due to a persistent knee ailment, but he’s played in the last three, averaging 26.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 37.3 minutes per game.
With the series tied 2-2, Embiid might return to the lineup on Tuesday.
