A record-breaking performance from Jayson Tatum has lifted the Boston Celtics into the Eastern Conference finals with a 112-88 win over the Philadelphia 76ers at the TD Garden.
Taytum dropped a staggering 51 points, the most scored by a player in a Game 7, en route to the win as the Celtics prepare for a series against the Miami Heat.
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The Celtics superstar, who also had 13 rebounds, was helped by a 25-point performance from Jaylen Brown.
The Sixers were left to lament what could have been having led the series against Boston 3-2 at one stage and even had the chance to close it out at home in Game Six.
But back-to-back defeats brought down the curtain on Philadelphia’s season.
The visitors weren’t helped by a weak display from superstar James Harden, who was three-from-11 in shooting to score a measly nine points.
Joel Embiid, who was recently crowned MVP, also struggled to get into the game and finished with 15 points and eight rebounds.
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Although the Sixers stole a 29-23 lead in the first quarter, Boston ramped up the intensity and never looked back.
The home side outscored Philadelphia 32-23 in the second quarter to hold a slender three-point lead at half-time.
But Taytum and his Celtics teammates exploded in the third, restricting the Sixers to a measly 10 points while scoring 33 of their own in a quarter that effectively sealed the result.
There was little Philly could do in the final period to overturn the result as a rowdy TD Garden got ready to celebrate.
Boston’s win also means it is a rematch in both the Western and Eastern Conference finals from the 2020 bubble playoffs, as the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers prepare to do battle once again in the Western Conference finals.