Jayson Tatum’s late three-pointer buries Sixers in 117-107 loss to Celtics

Jayson Tatum let the open three-pointer fly from the left wing. Then he blew a kiss to the Wells Fargo Center crowd when it dropped through the net, signaling they were free to exit the building prematurely.

That shot, which put the Boston Celtics up by eight points with 71 seconds to play, proved to be the dagger in the Sixers’ 117-107 loss Wednesday night in a matchup of the Eastern Conference’s current top two teams.

The Sixers overcame a 17-point first-half deficit but could never take control against the shorthanded Celtics, who played without stars Jaylen Brown (non-COVID illness) and Kristaps Porzingis (knee bruise). The Sixers, meanwhile, were on the second night of a back-to-back set, and coming off two consecutive games against the high-speed Indiana Pacers.

They trailed, 83-75, entering the fourth, but sliced that deficit to one multiple times in the quarter, including when Tyrese Maxey sank two free throws to make the score 99-98 with 6 minutes to play.

But after a Joel Embiid turnover, Tatum (29 points, eight rebounds, six assists) converted a layup through contact for the old-fashioned three-point play to put Boston up, 102-98, and Derrick White (27 points) followed with a three-pointer at the top that rattled in at the 4:37 mark.

Maxey got the Sixers (8-3) within 110-105 with 2:09 to play, but Robert Covington could not finish inside on their next possession and then Tatum hit his big shot from beyond the arc.

Embiid, who was listed as questionable entering the game because of hip soreness, finished with 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Maxey added 20 points and five assists, while Tobias Harris had 16 points and six rebounds. Though both teams shot a similar percentage from the floor, the Celtics put up 50 three-pointers compared to the Sixers’ 30.

The Sixers will hit the road for two games: on Friday at the Atlanta Hawks, which will also be their third In-Season Tournament game — and Sunday afternoon at the Brooklyn Nets.

Bad first, terrific second

The Sixers began the game with a De’Anthony Melton corner three-pointer, but then the offense went splat for the rest of the frame.

They shot 8-of-25 from the floor during the opening quarter, including zero points from Maxey on 0-of-3 shooting. Embiid was stuck on two points until making two free throws and sinking a driving layup in the frame’s final two minutes.

The Celtics, meanwhile, shot 53.8% from the floor to build a 15-point lead. They compiled 11 fastbreak points and held a 10-0 edge in bench points.

Yet the Sixers orchestrated a sharp turnaround in the second quarter, outscoring the Celtics, 36-20.

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They made 14 of their 20 field-goal attempts, including a 5-of-8 mark from three. Maxey buried a three-pointer in the first minute, igniting a 10-point quarter. Harris went 3-of-3 from the floor, including a baseline and-one finish and another shot in the lane, to push the Sixers ahead, 53-52, late in the frame while dishing out two assists.

And Jaden Springer, who had not played in the previous two games, provided a huge spark off the bench, with seven points on 3-of-3 shooting and two rebounds while playing the whole period.

Springer began the quarter with a three-pointer, then collected a steal and transition basket. Later, he drove baseline for a strong finish, and drew a cheer when saving a ball from going out of bounds that ended with Maxey getting fouled.

Springer ignited the crowd again later, when he knocked the ball away from Tatum and threw down a fastbreak reverse dunk to get the Sixers within 89-85 early in the fourth.

RoCo boost

Covington, who started again in place of the absent Nicolas Batum (personal reasons), was the sole bright spot of the Sixers’ poor start and finished with 16 points, six rebounds, and two steals in his best performance in his return to Philly.

He totaled 10 first-half points, already marking his highest total since being traded back to the Sixers from the Los Angeles Clippers. Though he missed all three of his long-range attempts before the break, he alertly followed missed shots by Maxey and Melton, got free under the basket to draw a foul, and converted a driving baseline finish.

Marcus Morris Sr. and Patrick Beverley, meanwhile, were the first Sixers off the bench. Furkan Korkmaz and Danuel House Jr. also played three first-quarter minutes. But that group supplied zero points on 0-for-9 shooting over the course of the game.