Game 3 needed a star to settle it. In Philadelphia, that star was Jayson Tatum. The Boston Celtics beat the 76ers 108-100 on Friday night, reclaiming home-court advantage and taking a 2-1 lead in the series after a Game 2 stumble had briefly made the matchup feel far more dangerous. Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 25 points, giving Boston the two-pronged force it needed in a game that never fully relaxed.
Philadelphia made the Celtics work for it. Tyrese Maxey led all scorers with 31 points, Paul George added 18, and the Sixers used a 12-0 third-quarter run to briefly seize momentum in front of a crowd desperate to believe this series had turned. But Boston’s response was the difference between a team with questions and a team with answers. Payton Pritchard delivered 15 points off the bench, including crucial late threes, and the Celtics’ reserve group outscored Philadelphia’s 35-14.
The closing minutes belonged to Boston’s composure. With the game tight, Tatum hit a clutch three that silenced the arena. Pritchard followed with another dagger-level shot in the final minute, and the Sixers were left chasing a game they had spent most of the night keeping within reach. Joel Embiid remained sidelined, and without him Philadelphia needed near-perfect execution late. It did not get it.
