Buzzer beats 'craziest' shot in 'wild' NBA finish

1 year ago 54

Jayson Tatum buried the three-pointer that enactment Boston up with 1.3 seconds near and casually backpedalled connected defence earlier helium turned to greet his teammates and — woosh! — a 70-foot changeable sailed implicit his caput and into the basket.

Joel Embiid shook his head. The 76ers' All-Star centre knew his tying, desperation heave was conscionable a tick excessively late.

Celtics manager Joe Mazzulla needed a 2nd look to cognize the Celtics were successful the wide and helium wasn't affirmative until "they showed it connected the jumbotron".

Time to celebrate.

Tatum deed the winning 3 that capped Boston's comeback from 15 points down successful the 3rd 4th and helium finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds and six assists to assistance the Celtics clasp connected for a 110-107 triumph against Philadelphia.

“I imagination astir taking those shots,” Tatum said. “The worst happening that tin hap is you miss.”

He didn't miss.

Jaylen Brown scored 26 points, Derrick White added 18 and Al Horford deed 5 game-changing threes for 15 points.

“Our guys person been there,” Mazzulla said. “They’ve been done it all.”

Embiid finished with 41 points and 12 rebounds. He besides made 17 of 18 escaped throws. James Harden scored 21 points and Tobias Harris had 19.

The late-game thriller proved worthy of a showdown betwixt 2 of the apical teams successful the east.

Boston, though, proved it’s inactive the squad to beat.

The Sixers dug heavy trailing by 5 with 3 minutes left. With booming “MVP! MVP!” chants filling the arena, Embiid deed 2 escaped throws and followed with a jumper that pulled the Sixers wrong one. Embiid past blocked Brown’s lay-up and Tyrese Maxey went the different mode for a go-ahead driving lay-up that sent different packed location into a frenzy.

Horford, erstwhile considered a cardinal cog successful the 76ers’ pursuit for a championship, alternatively deed the clutch three-pointer wrong Wells Fargo Center that the metropolis craved from him successful 2019-20. He enactment the Celtics up by 2 points and a bucket by Tatum made it 107-103.

Harden and Embiid made 4 consecutive escaped throws that tied the crippled and enactment each instrumentality — determination was a smattering of greenish successful the stands — connected edge.

Tatum, though, calmly deed a 3 to enactment Boston ahead. Embiid past heaved 1 from wrong the opposing three-point enactment and it fell done the handbasket — conscionable aft the horn.

“I benignant of had a feeling it wasn't going to count,” Tatum said. “But it's the NBA, right? Anything tin happen.”

Just not connected this nighttime for the Sixers.

“Unfortunately, communicative of my life," Embiid said.

Tatum celebrated by giving his game-worn jersey to prima Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver — and noted Celtics instrumentality — DeVonta Smith.

The 76ers had different packed location and fans were hyped from pre-game warm-ups for a crippled with a definitive play-off feel. Both teams came retired firing — they each deed 4 threes and changeable astatine slightest 50 per cent successful the archetypal quarter. The scoring swings were truthful one-sided for a agelong that the Celtics went connected a 20-4 tally and lone led 39-32.

The Sixers entered this 1 with thing to beryllium aft a miserable effort successful a 106-99 nonaccomplishment earlier this period successful Boston.

The reigning Eastern Conference champion, Celtics stay the people of the conference.

The Sixers are inactive retired to amusement nether manager Doc Rivers they’re much than a 50-win, second-round exit team.

They’re going to request Embiid to pb the way. After a hard shooting nighttime against Memphis connected Thursday, Embiid had a crippled worthy of the “MVP! MVP!” chants that serenaded him with each travel to the free-throw line.

He bullied his mode down the lane for large buckets. Embiid’s three-point play precocious successful the 4th stretched the pb to 11 and helium had an assistance connected De’Anthony Melton’s three-pointer connected the adjacent possession.

Horford made 3 consecutive threes to bring Boston backmost into the game. Horford’s 4th 3 of the 4th keyed an 18-3 tally and helped the Celtics pb 80-78 done three.

“It's not other motivation,” Horford said of his return. “It's conscionable fun. Those are the games you privation to beryllium a portion of.”

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