Inside The Celtics

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Victory vs. Sixers: Tatum Comes Through in the Clutch as Boston Wins Season Series

The Celtics improve to 3-0 against the Sixers, winning the season series vs. an opponent that entered the night three back in the standings.

Bobby Krivitsky

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
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Saturday's Celtics-Sixers matchup was a heavyweight slugfest.

After trailing by six at halftime of a rivalry clash that resembled a playoff game, in both atmosphere and physicality, Boston outscored Philadelphia 60-51 in the second half.

After the visitors built their first double-digit lead of the night, the hosts swung back, staging an 8-0 run, making for a finish that came down to the final play.

And while the Sixers stymied Jayson Tatum for most of the night, the Celtics' star came through when it mattered most, drilling a three on an after-timeout set (ATO) Boston's come to rely on in critical moments, letting him build momentum from the backcourt and trusting Marcus Smart to get the ball to him.

Joel Embiid nearly matched him, swishing a three from slightly in front of Philadelphia's three-point line, but he didn't beat the buzzer.

Now, a deep dive into what stood out in each quarter of the Celtics' 110-107 victory over the Sixers, improving to 3-0 against Philadelphia and clinching the season series against an opponent that entered the night three games back in the standings.

Tobias Harris Stepping Up as a Scorer is the Difference-Maker in First Frame

With Boston slow out of the gates, the hosts got off to a 7-0 start, including a Tobias Harris pull-up three in transition.

But a pair of threes from Jaylen Brown and the Celtics converting four Sixers turnovers into seven points, including the following Jayson Tatum jam after a poor pass by James Harden, kept the game close in the opening frame.

When it came time for Joe Mazzulla to make his first substitution, like Thursday's tilt against the Pacers, Derrick White was the first one off the bench, again checking in for Robert Williams. White entered play at the 6:40 mark, with Philadelphia leading 15-13.

And while the Timelord had a quiet first quarter, he swished a baseline jumper from 15 feet to beat the horn at the end of the period, keeping Boston within two, 30-28, after 12 minutes.

Brown led the Celtics with eight points. White chipped in seven off the bench.

Harris paced all participants with 12 points. The Sixers also got eight from Joel Embiid, who beat Grant Williams off the dribble for two of those and knocked down a pair of turnaround jumpers, one in front of the foul line and one below it.

Second Quarter Reminiscent of the Eastern Conference Finals

At the 10:43 mark, Grant Williams gave Boston its first lead of the night, 33-30, burying a three from the left wing, capitalizing on effective ball movement.

Robert Williams' impact continued into the early portion of the second frame, tipping in a Malcolm Brogdon missed floater and setting an effective screen on Harden to get Brogdon an open three from above the break. The latter gave the visitors a 39-32 advantage with 8:35 remaining in the first half.

Philadelphia got a lift from P.J. Tucker in the second quarter, as he grabbed two of his four first-half offensive rebounds, providing an infusion of energy.

Tucker's grit and hustle plays helped the hosts go on a 10-run. The other individual most responsible for that burst was Embiid, who, even when he wasn't getting to the free-throw line, kept attacking the basket, no matter the result.

Embiid's relentless approach also led to him taking six free throws in the second period, making five. The Sixers' star center manufactured 12 of his 20 first-half points in the frame.

The two led Philadelphia to a 56-50 edge after 24 minutes. Tucker entered the break with 11 offensive rebounds and seven points. The hosts also got 14 points from Harris and nine from Harden.

As for the visitors, Brown had 16 at the half, and Smart scored ten. But Tatum was quiet, registering four points on two of six shooting. He did make his mark in other areas, though, contributing six rebounds, three assists, and a block.

The first half, and second frame, in particular, was reminiscent of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Heat, though, featuring a slower pace and considerable physicality. The two rivals registered 26 and 22 points, respectively, with the hosts outscoring their guests.

In that setting, the Celtics committed eight turnovers. Tatum had four giveaways, and Brown had three, which was more than any other participants.

While that hurt Boston offensively, somehow, it only led to five points for the Sixers. Conversely, the visitors parlayed six Philadelphia turnovers into 12 points.

The Celtics also had a 14-6 advantage in second-unit scoring. White produced seven, all in the first quarter, and Grant Williams had four.

Sixers Strike First, but Celtics Hit Harder in Third Quarter

In the first 3:18 of the third frame, Boston committed two turnovers, paying the price the second time on a Harden three. That gave the hosts a 67-52 advantage, as they outscored the visitors 11-2 at the beginning of the period.

But the Celtics struck back, aided by second-chance points as Robert Williams tipped in a Tatum miss, and the latter cleaned up an Al Horford miss against Embiid in transition, and White did the same after Tatum went 1/2 at the free-throw line.

And when Horford buried back-to-back threes, his first points of the game, Boston pulled within seven, 75-68, with 3:30 left in the third quarter.

Even a Doc Rivers timeout couldn't get Horford out of rhythm, as he followed those up by burying an open look from the left corner off a drive-and-kick from Brogdon, narrowing the gap to 75-71.

Horford drilled his next look a couple of minutes later, bringing the Celtics within one, 78-77, with 1:19 to play in the period.

Tatum's struggles against a Philadelphia defense making it a point to show him multiple bodies continued, as did his lack of luck on missed layups and an open three. It resulted in him passing up a clean look from beyond the arc, swinging the ball to Brown, who couldn't get a shot off before the shot clock expired.

But in what Boston hopes is a sign of him finding his rhythm, he knocked down a three off the dribble that gave the visitors an 80-78 lead entering the final frame, erasing a deficit that was once 15 points.

Tatum Comes Through in Crunch Time 

The Celtics continued building on that momentum at the start of the fourth quarter, as Grant Williams lofted a lob to the Timelord, and beautiful ball movement produced an open three for White in the right corner. The latter gave Boston an 85-78 advantage with 11:16 remaining.

And as the visitors continued clamping down defensively and keeping the Sixers off the glass, the Celtics', playing with pace and pushing in transition, padded their lead.

Boston's cushion grew when Brown threw a bounce pass ahead to Robert Williams, sprinting the floor, beating Embiid down court for a dunk. Then, Brown came from behind Philadelphia's star center, knocking the ball out and taking off in transition for a layup that gave the Celtics their first double digit lead of the night, 95-85, with 7:11 to go.

But with the Sixers looking lifeless, Brogdon missed a layup off a baseline cut, and Brown gave the ball away on a careless pass, opening the door for an 8-0 run that brought the hosts within two, 97-95, with 4:09 left.

And with the Celtics clinging to a one-point advantage, Joe Mazzulla opted against a timeout, only to see Embiid swallow up a Brown layup attempt, leading to a Tyrese Maxey layup. 

But Mazzulla's team rewarded his faith in them, playing up to the moment and responding with a Horford three from the left wing and a Tatum tip-in off a Grant Williams miss from the corner on that same side. Those baskets gave Boston a 107-103 edge with a minute on the game clock.

And in a rivalry clash that was a heavyweight slugfest, the ending didn't disappoint. With the game tied at 107, after a Celtics timeout, Philadelphia utilizing its foul-to-give, burning clock and getting a glimpse at what Boston might do, and another timeout by the visitors, Mazzulla dialed up a familiar ATO.

Turning to a set the Celtics relied on when needing a bucket at the end of regulation in their game in Cleveland earlier in the season, Tatum started in the backcourt, and Smart delivered a perfect pass to get him the ball; the four-time All-Star then drilled a three, giving Boston a 110-107 lead with two seconds left.

Embiid nearly matched it, swishing a heave from in front of the three-point line at the far end of the floor, but he didn't get the shot off in time.

The victory means the Celtics, who've beaten the Sixers in the first three matchups, win the season series, a significant development against an opponent that entered the night three games back in the standings.

Post-Game Notes

Embiid scored a game-high 41 points in the loss. He also stuffed the stat sheet with 12 rebounds, dished out five assists, and had three blocks.

Harden provided 21 points, eight assists, grabbed six boards, and swiped three steals. Philadelphia also got 19 from Harris, but he went quiet in the second half, only scoring five points.

Boston got 26 points from Brown, who paired that with four rebounds, three assists, and three steals. 

While Tatum was quiet until crunch time, he finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, leading the Celtics in both categories, and he had a block.

Derrick White matched Tatum's point production off the bench on 7/9 shooting, including converting on 2/3 attempts from behind the arc.

Boston also got 15 points from Horford, all in the second half, knocking down four shots from beyond the arc to help ignite the offense in the third quarter, then burying another in the clutch.

And while Robert Williams' performance is easy to gloss over in a game like this, he made his mark with 14 points on 7/7 shooting, all at the rim after his buzzer beater at the end of the first frame. The Timelord also grabbed eight rebounds and earned a plus-minus rating of plus-ten.

And while the Sixers, led by Embiid going 17/18 at the free-throw line, went 28/35 from the stripe, the visitors nearly doubled their long-range production, drilling 16/37 (43.2 percent) of their threes compared to the hosts going 9/26 (34.6 percent) from beyond the arc.

The Celtics also generated 50 points in the paint to Philadelphia's 40, including a 28-16 advantage in the second half. Boston cutting down on turnovers, committing five in the final two quarters after giving the ball away eight times in the first two, limited the hosts to seven points off those opportunities after halftime and 16 total.

The Celtics converting nine offensive rebounds into a 17-9 edge in second-chance points also proved critical to their ability to reach the winner's circle.

Up Next

The Celtics head to New York to face the Knicks Monday night. That game tips off at 7:30 pm EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and afterward. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.

Further Reading

Film Room: How the Celtics Defend Joel Embiid

[Film Room] What Worked for Celtics' Starters vs. Pacers and What Needs Addressing

Jayson Tatum Discusses Hard Fall on His Injured Left Wrist

Jaylen Brown Reveals How Protective Mask Impacts His Game

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Pacers: Boston Weathers the Storm

Top Celtics Buyout Option Set to Reach Free Agency

Jayson Tatum Unveils Jordan Tatum 1's

Wyc Grousbeck Expects Celtics to Make Another Move: 'We’re Not Saving Roster Spots for a Rainy Day'

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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