The Boston Celtics clinched the season series vs. the Philadelphia 76ers with a thrilling victory Saturday night at Wells Fargo Center.
After trailing by 15 points late in the third quarter, the Celtics finished the frame on an 18-3 run to regain control of the matchup. A wild fourth quarter came down to the wire and ended with Jayson Tatum drilling the game-winning 3-pointer, sealing a 110-107 victory.
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Six C's players scored in double figures: Jaylen Brown (26 points), Tatum (18 points), Derrick White (18 points), Al Horford (15 points), Robert Williams (14 points), and Marcus Smart (10 points).
Sixers star Joel Embiid finished with a game-high 41 points. James Harden and Tobias Harris added 21 and 19 points, respectively.
The Celtics improve to 44-17 and will look to extend their win streak to four games when they visit the New York Knicks on Monday night. First, here are our takeaways from Saturday's huge win over Philadelphia.
Boston Celtics
Jayson Tatum makes up for off night
For most of the game, it simply wasn't Tatum's night. The four-time All-Star had only four points on two field goals and turned the ball over four times in the first half.
It didn't get a whole lot better in the third quarter, but Tatum woke up when it mattered the most. He came through with a clutch 3-pointer to extend Boston's lead to five with just over three minutes remaining.
He also had a tip-in that widened the C's lead to four with a minute to go.
At the end of the quarter, with the game tied at 107, Tatum was called upon again. It was either head to overtime for the second consecutive game or send everyone home. He chose the latter.
Tatum drilled the game-winning 3 just before time expired. Embiid hit the full-court shot that nearly gave Celtics fans a heart attack, but it came just after the final buzzer.
It wasn't the best 48 minutes for Tatum, but he salvaged his night with a terrific ending. He finished with 18 points on 7-of-17 shooting and 13 rebounds.
Al Horford the unsung hero
Tatum hit the game-winner, but Horford is who gave the Celtics a chance to win in the first place.
The Celtics were down 15 points in the third quarter, but not for long thanks to Horford. The veteran big man helped Boston go on an 18-3 run and erase a 15-point deficit with four consecutive made 3-pointers in the third quarter.
Horford's 3-point barrage gave the C's much-needed momentum heading into the fourth quarter, but he wasn't done. With 1:30 left in the game, he hit his fifth straight 3 to put Boston up by two.
Horford's heroics were the story before Tatum finished the job.
Another gem from Derrick White
You could make a valid case that Derrick White has been the Celtics' MVP over the last month or so. He earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors before the All-Star break and hasn't cooled off since.
Saturday's win marked White's 14th straight game scoring in double figures. He ended up with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting and was a team-best +22 off the bench.
White also was terrific defensively against Harden.
The Celtics bench as a whole was a difference-maker as it outscored the Sixers' second unit, 27-12.