1. Right now of 12 months, we speak so much about “survive and advance”. The Boston Celtics break up that into two elements. They survived in Recreation 6 and so they superior in Recreation 7 in opposition to the Philadelphia 76ers.
After a back-and-forth first half, Boston completely dominated the second half. By the halfway level of the third quarter, the sport was a laugher, and the celebration was on in TD Backyard.
The Celtics don’t make something straightforward on themselves, however they do have a tendency to come back by greater than they don’t. They’ll must do it twice extra to comprehend the last word objective of the season.
Will the curler coaster proceed to be enjoyable, terrifying and exhilarating suddenly? Sure. And on the finish, hopefully we’ll all be asking if we are able to do it once more.
2. These Takeaways are going to characteristic a variety of Jayson Tatum. Anybody anticipating any in another way is prone to be sorely disenchanted. Tatum was merely transcendent in Recreation 7. Listed here are the numbers:
51 factors on 17-of-28 taking pictures, together with 6-of-10 on three-pointers
13 rebounds (game-high)
5 assists (team-high)
2 steals
0 turnovers
Let these breathe for a second…you might have a fairly large smile in your face, don’t you? Let’s go over the way it occurred.
When Tatum hit Joel Embiid with the hesitation dribble early, it felt like we is perhaps headed for a particular sport:
When he dropped within the one-legged Dirk Nowitzki fadeaway, a particular sport was undoubtedly inbound:
A few completely different instances when issues bought sideways for Boston within the final two video games, they went to Tatum within the put up. In opposition to smaller gamers, this must be a weapon for Tatum:
When Tatum is feeling good, even a good defender like Tobias Harris has no likelihood:
Tatum was already having an impressive half, however when he hit this pullup, it was time to begin interested by an all-time sport. If the pullup is falling, there may be nothing you are able to do with him:
This shot in opposition to Joel Embiid on the finish of the primary was an indication of what was to come back after the break:
3. Within the second half, Jayson Tatum went soul-snatching and took the life out of the Sixers early. And he did it by mercilessly searching the MVP.
Boston got here out of the break trying to assault Joel Embiid. When Tatum blows by Embiid right here, and P.J. Tucker’s assistance is late, there’s nobody to guard the rim:
This time, Embiid bought again into the paint. No worries, Tatum takes it outdoors and works till he will get the side-step triple:
After the 76ers missed a shot following the timeout, Tatum labored to get Embiid once more. This time, it was a one-dribble pullup proper in Embiid’s face:
With Embiid defending from someplace within the better Philadelphia space (this was a poorly performed zone almost certainly), Tatum was free and clear to drag up off the Al Horford display screen:
Embiid is operating on fumes right here. Philadelphia needs to arrange a lure, with Tobias Harris trailing over the display screen. However Tatum zips proper by Embiid earlier than the MVP may even set the angle for the double-team:
No dribble. 50-piece. Soul snatched. Collection over:
4. As final 12 months’s playoffs wound down, groups began forcing Tatum to be a passer extra usually. He struggled with that function, and stated it was a focus of his offseason exercises.
Over the course of this common season and playoffs, Tatum appears to have figured a variety of that a part of the sport out.
This play got here after the flagrant foul was known as on James Harden for smacking Jaylen Brown within the face. Joe Mazzulla clearly took the assessment time to attract up this set and Tatum delivered with the lob to Rob Williams:
Slightly later, Tatum drew two in pick-and-roll and left it for Williams to complete once more:
Tatum is now content material to attract double-teams on the perimeter now and to get the ball biking. That led to this discover from Al Horford to Jaylen Brown:
Tatum has additionally gotten fairly good at operating the break because the passer. This can be a good job to drag the protection to him, earlier than zipping it to Malcolm Brogdon for the layup:
5. Jaylen Brown bought the Celtics going early, as is usually the way it goes. Brown’s first bucket was a tone-setter in a way. He was faster to the ball than the Sixers and it bought him a layup:
Boston has gotten a ton of mileage out of Brown chopping out of the strongside nook, whereas Marcus Good finds him by the backdoor. Philadelphia has seen it just a few instances now and De’Anthony Melton did a superb job blowing it up. The excellent news? Brown and Good simply flowed right into a DHO for a 3 as an alternative of forcing the back-cut play or absolutely resetting the motion:
After getting hit within the face, Brown was executed messing round. His on-ball protection on James Harden was terrific. What was actually thrilling was Brown stayed locked in off-ball, as properly. That led to performs like this:
6. The third quarter was the factor goals are made from for the Celtics. It was a throwback to final 12 months’s Boston group.
The 76ers scored simply 10 factors on 3-of-21 taking pictures. Boston additionally pressured six turnovers, together with a shot-clock violation.
Led by Jayson Tatum, the Celtics scored 33 factors on 11-of-19 taking pictures, together with 8-of-12 from behind the arc.
For all intents and functions, the sport was over after 36 minutes. Philadelphia by no means made one other actual run and appeared like they have been simply enjoying issues out over the ultimate 12 minutes.
Boston set the tone late within the first half after which they performed all the precise notes within the third quarter to ship the Sixers residence.
7. Al Horford did the entire issues that make him a particular participant on this sport. His protection in opposition to Joel Embiid all collection was stable (at worst), however exceptionally good in Recreation 7. Horford simply is aware of the best way to make Embiid uncomfortable. Even when Embiid scores, he nearly all the time has to actually work for it in opposition to Horford.
And Horford contributed on offense too. By now, you understand we love big-to-big passing right here within the Takeaways:
Horford didn’t take many photographs, however this was a giant one. He sprinted the ground and bought to his spot earlier than Embiid may get again after which gave Boston the lead:
This play, greater than every other, was an indication of how exhausting Horford makes Embiid work to get his photographs up. Early in video games, when the MVP has extra carry, he’ll hit a few of these. As the sport goes alongside, and Embiid tires, Horford pounces:
8. After a giant statistical Recreation 6, Marcus Good performed a bit extra of an understated Recreation 7. However he made two photographs, one late within the first half and one early within the second half, to sort of hold the Celtics offense transferring round Jayson Tatum’s brilliance.
Tatum accepts the double-team right here and finds Good slipping out of the display screen. As a substitute of attempting one thing loopy, Good retains issues tremendous easy and takes the quick pullup to tie the sport:
After a Tobias Harris three tied the sport to open the second half, Good bailed Boston out with this late-clock fallaway. Philadelphia would by no means tie or lead once more:
9. File this one away for the Celtics within the Jap Convention Finals and probably NBA Finals. The entire groups Boston may nonetheless play, from the Miami Warmth to the Denver Nuggets to the Los Angeles Lakers, combine in a good quantity of drop protection. Malcolm Brogdon’s pullup jumper goes to be a key weapon for the Celtics the remainder of the way in which:
10. For the third time within the final 4 seasons, it’s Celtics vs Warmth within the Jap Convention Finals. The primary matchup was within the bubble in 2020. The following one was only a 12 months in the past, with Miami holding homecourt benefit. This time round, Boston has homecourt benefit.
It feels poetic that Boston dispatched a rival with and MVP-level massive man by profitable a Recreation 6 on the street and a Recreation 7 residence blowout two years in a row. It feels simply as poetic that Miami is there ready within the East finals.
We’ll have much more to come back on this collection over the following couple of days. For now, let’s take pleasure in that we’re right here once more. It wasn’t a lock and it bought scary at instances, however we’re right here.
Similar to a curler coaster, after the terrifying elements, the enjoyable begins. And we’re all able to journey once more beginning on Wednesday.