NBA Scores: Jayson Tatum goes from goat to hero as Celtics force Game 7 with comeback
Tatum, Celtics dangle on for 95-86 win over Sixers to power sport 7
With their backs towards the wall, Boston got here out hungry, blazing out to a 15-3 begin. Malcolm Brogdon’s 11 first quarter factors and Marcus Sensible’s 9 second quarter factors each contributed to getting the Celtics as massive as a 16-point lead within the first half. And that was all regardless of Jayson Tatum beginning 0-11 from the ground.
Sixers scratched and clawed again in it because of a 14-3 run within the third quarter, and it went so far as Philadelphia getting a two-point lead with lower than six minutes to go within the sport.
By that time, neither staff had a lead of three or extra within the fourth quarter, however Tatum hit back-to-back threes to offer Boston a four-point lead, and he hit one other later to offer them an eight-point lead. So he goes from an 0-11 begin to ending 5-21 from the sphere for 19 factors, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists.
From my standpoint, the Sixers seemed mightily lackadaisical within the late phases of this sport as soon as Tatum heated up, and that might’ve been resulting from waiting for Sunday. They’ll tip their sport 7 off in Boston with time relying on whether or not Lakers-Warriors goes to seven.
Nuggets embarrass Suns on their dwelling ground 125-100, ending their season
Neither Chris Paul (groin) nor Deandre Ayton (ribs) had been within the lineup for Phoenix, so that they had been already behind the 8-ball a bit, however Cam Payne got here out firing (10 factors in first 7:03, ending with a career-high 31 factors), which often bodes effectively for the star-reliant Phoenix, however these stars by no means actually confirmed up.
Nuggets capitalized by happening a 19-0 run on the finish of the primary and a 19-2 run on the finish of the second, increasing their result in as large as 32 earlier than the top of the half, wanting eerily like Phoenix’s dwelling blowout loss to Dallas in sport 7 a yr in the past.
Nikola Jokic continued his unbelievable run, posting 32 factors (13-18 FG), 10 rebounds, 12 assists, and three steals. It’s his second triple-double in a row, third this collection (during which he grew to become the third participant ever to common a 30-point triple-double for a collection), and now has 11 within the playoffs over his profession.
Denver now has the posh of sitting again and awaiting their Western Convention Finals opponent between the Lakers and Warriors; Lakers, with a 3-2 lead, have an opportunity to finish the collection at dwelling on Friday at 10 p.m.
