The Boston Celtics caught fire against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday to secure a 128-96 win and take a 3-1 series lead.
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Joel Embiid made his return for the Sixers following a surgery to remove his appendix.
Boston’s duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum struggled early, but Payton Pritchard took over off the bench. Boston still put up 34 points in the opening frame while holding the ice-cold Sixers to 18.
The Celtics’ hot shooting cooled off a bit in the second quarter, but Philadelphia still couldn’t get going on offense. At halftime, Boston was still ahead by 18.
A short break seemed to do good for the Sixers, who finally gained a little momentum in terms of scoring in the third quarter. But Tatum came out of the break with a vengeance.
After scoring just five points in the first half, he poured in 13 points in the third quarter and 12 points in the fourth. Philadelphia put up a valiant effort, but the rebounding issues and shooting struggles were too much.
Boston’s lead only grew as the second half played out.
Pritchard finished with 32 points and five assists while Tatum put up 30 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists.
For Philadelphia, Embiid finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.
James Parker contributed to this story.
