Celtics Take Commanding 3-0 Lead over 76ers Despite Joel Embiid’s 30 and 13

Kim Klement/Associated Press

The Boston Celtics continued their dominance over the Philadelphia 76ers, taking a commanding 3-0 series lead after Friday’s 102-94 victory. 

After the two teams went back and forth in Game 1, the Celtics completely took it to their rivals in Game 2 with a 128-101 win. Jayson Tatum gave Philadelphia’s defense all sorts of problems in those games with a combined 65 points on 53.7 percent shooting. 

The Sixers entered the postseason climbing up a steep hill without Ben Simmons available. The results thus far have been incredibly disappointing despite the best efforts of Joel Embiid, who averaged 30.0 points and 13.0 rebounds in the first two games. 

Neither team played their best Friday, but the Celtics were able to make enough plays down the stretch to get the win. After taking a 94-92 lead with 2:14 remaining in the fourth, the Sixers didn’t score for the rest of the game. 

Kemba Walker’s jumper with 1:05 remaining put his team up 98-94 and wound up sealing the win. 

Notable Player Stats

Smart, Walker Put Celtics on Verge of Sweep

On a night that saw Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combine to shoot 12-of-35 from the field, it was wily veterans Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart that lifted the Celtics to victory. 

The offense came into Game 3 firing on all cylinders after shooting 51.2 percent from the field two days ago. 

Walker, who came into Friday just 1-of-10 from three in the playoffs, made three from behind the arc in the first three quarters. He also had eight consecutive points during the third quarter, as the Celtics were fighting to maintain the lead.

Smart is known for his defensive skill set, which was on display, but he also made some key plays on offense to keep the Celtics going with Tatum and Brown struggling to find their form. 

Eventually, Tatum was able to step up with five of Boston’s seven straight points after the Sixers tied the score at 78 in the fourth quarter. 

If there is a lesson from Game 3, though, it’s the same one that has been true all season: The Celtics’ roster has assembled enough talent in the starting lineup that they don’t need their two stars to be on point in order to win games. 

Sixers Can’t Capitalize on Embiid’s Performance

It’s unfortunate that the 76ers entered the postseason in the state they did, because they have been unable to take advantage of what Joel Embiid has brought to the table. 

Game 3 wasn’t Embiid’s best shooting game of the series, but the three-time All-Star was clearly fighting with everything he had to get Philadelphia on the board. 

Embiid had some help early from Tobias Harris, who had a double-double, but he was held scoreless after the 5:12 mark in the third quarter. 

Al Horford made one basket in 38 minutes and had two bad plays down the stretch that cost the Sixers. He missed a three from the corner with a defender in his face. On the Celtics’ ensuing possession, trailing 90-89, he fouled Brown on a three-point attempt.

Brown made all three free throws to put Boston up 92-90 with 3:48 remaining. 

Embiid put the Sixers back on top 94-92 with four consecutive free throws, but he also made a crucial turnover on a bad pass and had a shot blocked during Boston’s 10-0 run to end the game. 

The offseason is looming for Philadelphia, barring a historic comeback. It could also be a long one filled with significant changes for the entire organization given how poorly the postseason has gone through the first three games. 

What’s Next?

The Celtics and 76ers will play Game 4 on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on ABC.