I’ve got no words for how this game went down. The Boston Celtics were somehow able to pull off an incredible 95-86 win over the 76ers in Game 6 both in spite and because of Jayson Tatum, giving way for an all-decisive Game 7 in Boston.
Has an NBA franchise superstar ever saved his legacy and perhaps place in the team in a more dramatic fashion?
As I said in the intro, the Boston Celtics miraculously were able to win Game 6 over the Philly 76ers and even the series at 3 as even though Jayson Tatum started the game 0-10 from the field and with just 3 PTS, he outscored the entire 76ers roster in the 4th to win this game for Boston.
I was so close to writing an article about this game last night (which I never do as the emotions of the game are generally too high for a well-balanced, thoughtful discussion) solely to lambast Jayson Tatum given how AWFUL he started the game yesterday.
In spite of his very impressive defensive statistics throughout the opening three quarters, Jayson Tatum was by far the worst player on the court for the opening 36 minutes as he scored a grand total of 3 points on 1/13 shooting (8%). And his poor shooting was essentially the driving factor for the 76ers to not only come swarming back from two 16-point deficits, but also held an 83-81 lead with a little over 4 minutes left in the game and the Celtics season.
He almost singlehandedly blew this series and potential championship run for the Celtics…before singlehandedly saving the series.
Still, before I get into one of the most incredible 5-minutes performances I’ve ever seen (and I’m not saying that lightly), let me just give credit to the rest of the Celtics roster and coaching staff.
Jaylen Brown (17 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST), AL Horford (2 PTS, 11 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK), Marcus Smart (22 PTS, 7 REB, 7 AST, 2 STLs), Robert Williams III (10 PTS, 9 REB, 1 AST, 2 BLKs), Malcolm Brogdon (16 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 4/6 3-point shooting), and Derrick White (9 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 1 BLK, 1 STL, 3/5 3-point shooting) played like warriors to give the Celtics a 16-point lead and keep them in the game late against a former MVP and the current MVP-led 76ers with Jayson Tatum struggling so badly.
This game could have gotten ugly for the Celtics if these players didn’t show up and prove their worth against extremely difficult opponents and under hostile conditions.
And, I’ve got to give massive props to Joe Mazzulla as he showcased his ability to learn from his mistakes as he was taking a lot more timeouts, used his challenges, and made key lineup adjustments (i.e.: starting Robert Williams III and Al Horford against Embiid) that helped keep the 76ers at bay until Tatum arrived.
Going up against an NBA title-winning HC in Doc Rivers and going into an elimination road game, Mazzulla could easily have been outclassed and outcoached if he lost his cool and composure with the 76ers storming back and Tatum’s shooting struggles, but he didn’t. He showed his excellent potential and helped guide the C’s to a must-win in Philly.
And, just before I get into Tatum, let me take a brief moment to ask the 76ers what happened in the 4th quarter? They scored 73 points throughout the first three quarters and held a 73-71 lead going into the 4th quarter, yet they ended up only scoring 13 points and got demolished by Jayson Tatum alone in a potential series-clinching quarter?
Joel Embiid (26 PTS, 10 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 3 BLKs) not demanding the ball late and James Harden (13 PTS, 7 REB, 9 AST, 3 STLs, 1 BLK) having numerous turnovers is inexcusable, while the Philly bench and Tobias Harris (2 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 2 STLs, 2 BLKs, 1/7 FG shooting) only contributing to 13 of the 76ers 86 PTS is pathetic.
Philly needed these guys to at least show up last night to close out the series, yet they obviously forget their invitations as the Celtics ran wild for 24 4th-quarter points.
Speaking of running wild, Jayson Tatum had probably one of the Top-5 greatest ever turnaround performances in playoff history with that 16-point 4th quarter explosion…if they win Game 7. Still, to have such a miserable, pathetic outing for the first 36 minutes and then turnaround with 4 clutch 3-pointers to not only close out the current MVP and the 76ers in Philadelphia, but also save his legacy as a Boston Celtic is insane.
I don’t want to sound overly dramatic, but Tatum’s time in Boston would have been under serious scrutiny if he didn’t score 16 clutch points in the 4th quarter and deliver the Celtics a must-win Game 6 victory.
You be considered as the “Heir to Larry Bird” (as many were perhaps rightfully proclaiming) with all of his regular season accolades this year (1st Team All-NBA selection, 4th place in MVP voting, being the first Celtics player to average 30+ PPG), and think you’d get no criticism for posting 3-straight games of sub .300 FG shooting in the opening halves of key playoff games.
And Tatum obviously knew this with his 4th quarter performance and his post-game quote, “I’m … humbly, one of the best basketball players in the world.”
I’m not going to be overly critical or praiseworthy of either one of these sets of players just yet as the series is now down to a winner-take-all in Game 7 with the winner most likely going to be the Eastern Conference’s representative for the NBA Finals.
But if Tatum is able to guide the Celtics to a Game 7 victory, my admiration of him has gone through the roof as what he did last night (and hopefully in Game 7) was Michael Jordan-level greatness.
I’m sorry for every Philly fan reading this…but let’s go Celtics!!!
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