2023 NBA Playoffs: Celtics ELIMINATE 76ers In Game 7, Advance To Eastern Conf. Finals I CBS Sports

game seven in Boston and it's the Celtics beating the Sixers and it was a blowout. Philly getting Molly Watt, 1-12-88 Jason Tatum, a game seven record 51 points just two weeks after Steph Curry dropped 50 on the Kings out in Sacramento Joel Embiid and also James Harden combined for just 24 points eight of 29 from the floor. Sixers had control of the game going into the second quarter. Seas took over after a couple of double techs and some chipping is in the late in the second quarter. Took the lead into the half and just exploded in the third quarter and it's the Seas winning by 24 game seven 1-12-88 they'll get the Mami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in the last four years. Game one will be in Boston on Wednesday night. Alright let's go ahead and bring in our CBS sports NBA insider there he is a writer than you Bill Ryder and Bill you look at it Jaylen Brown he was imploring he put a challenge out there to the Celtics fans we need you to show up we need you to show out and that's exactly what they did they showed up big time but it was JT who actually delivered the player on the floor didn't play very well early on the last few games had that great finish in game six and then in game seven he was spectacular 51 points how good was Jason Tatum in his closed out game for the Seas? I mean he was literally from an offensive perspective Larry the the best player in NBA history in a in a game seven you said it started the last game what I think one of 14 from the field and scored 16 points in the fourth quarter to outscore this Philly team in game six in the fourth quarter and you're right kept it rolling that momentum that swagger and just a reminder this is one of those guys and such such a juxtaposition between his confidence and what we saw from hard and Embiid he struggled early on in game six didn't matter believed in himself thought he was the man proved that he was in the fourth quarter the last game and certainly proved again that he was in this decisive game seven he was incredible.

Bill let's go back to that second quarter there it's uh Sitches were up Abe James Harden he's going in gets the other the foul there the flagrant foul he slaps Jaylen Brown across the face Seas go ahead and score eight straight tie the game up and then there was a double tech there with Jaylen Brown getting his leg grabbed on the bench by a Nyang there George Nyang and then the Seas just took off from there it seems like that was the inflection point in this game what were your thoughts there with that uh how chippy it got and how it seemed like that drove the Celtics to this victory here going into the second half. I mean it's always going to get chipping a game seven between these two teams but you're right a player on the bench grabbing the leg of another player we've seen a lot of things Larry and maybe I've just missed it but I cannot remember having seen that before and I think what we're talking about here is the Celtics were able to respond to the intensity and the stress and the anger and the frustration which was certainly epitomized by the things you're talking about and this sixers team they were not I mean this is a team a sixers team that were up three two we knew it was going to be a battle it was always going to be chippy and you're right when things got ugly when when things really got to be a battle it was Boston who responded and it was Philly who absolutely faded. Billy you were just talking about JT 51 points here a game seven record just phenomenal from the floor there uh 17 of 28 from the floor six of 10 from three point range and 11 of his 14 free throws as well he was a plus 33 in this ball game after game six he said humbly speaking I'm one of the best players in the world did he prove that today did he validate that first team all NBA status for you today boom. Yeah I thought he proved it earlier I mean I put him on my my NBA all first team he was I think if I remember right Larry fifth on my MVP ballot there are five games that go on those official ballots he's been one of the best players in the game for a while now remember this is a team that that made a run of the finals last year lost to the Warriors Tate and didn't play well especially the end of that series and it turned out we found out later he was dealing with a little bit of an injury I think this just underlines and underscores for folks what's been true for a while what Jason Tatum did say and he said it accurately he said it with truth he said it with as much humility as he can he is one of the best players on the face of the earth and he literally himself single-handedly had the best offensive performance in a game seven in NBA history and helped carry this Celtics team not just at the conference finals but a humiliating victory a beat down against this this Philly team he's extraordinary yeah C's outscored the Sixers 33-10 there in that decisive third quarter to go ahead and win this game and cruise and win by 24 you look at the Sixers wow Embiid and James Harden combining for just 24 and beat with just 15 eight of 29 from the floor combined how much trouble were the Sixers and when you got your two best players there feel didn't really Bill didn't really bring it for the Phillies there in Boston in game seven Bill yeah hard to win when one of your best players is playing like excuse the term trash but that's what that's what happened and we had we had their two best players they were awful and we we've seen this story before we've seen it from James Harden I think we're starting to see a bit of a pattern from Joel Embiid we've seen it from Doc Rivers coach teams and there's a there's a history here and this was an opportunity certainly for Harden certainly for Doc Rivers as the head coach and I think Larry to a degree for Embiid who obviously just came off his first MVP to change that narrative to change that reality to change that pattern and not only did they lose which which happens you're playing a good Celtics team but they were both those players awful that team had absolutely no fight as we see from the final score and if you watch the game after the first half they got absolutely destroyed I know we throw this word around this is an embarrassment for the Sixers it's an embarrassment for the front office it's an embarrassment for the coaching staff it's an embarrassment for those two stars it's an embarrassment for everyone associated with Philadelphia because they absolutely faded and just were I mean the effort was lacking the intensity was lacking they were awful Larry and there's no excuse for that kind of performance in the game seven. Well you look at Joel Embiid during his tenure there the Sixers have not gotten past that second round there so the conference Emmys you look at it going into the offseason you look at Doc Rivers has been there a handful of years now game seven most game sevens in the history of the NBA got the most losses as well now six and ten that's ten losses in game sevens in NBA history no other coach has more than that Bill looking in the future there how much trouble is Doc Rivers in right now when this team can't really get past the hub he's got an MVP got a none of the form MVP on the team with James Harden and they just can't seem to get to a conference final. So this is educated speculation I don't know anything yet officially I don't have any reporting Larry but I would be stunned I would be absolutely flabbergasted if Doc Rivers is the coach of the Sixers next year you noted all of those things he's also this doesn't apply to this series but he's blown more three one series leads any coach in NBA history almost as many I believe it is three two series leads it does apply to this series as any coach in NBA history when his teams that he coaches have an opportunity to win a game to advance in any playoff they've won about 33% of those games they obviously lost this game tonight and remember Darryl Moore who's the president of basketball operations in Philadelphia did not hire Doc Rivers Doc Rivers left it was fired from the Clippers he got this job and then they hired in effect his boss so we'll see we will certainly see what Darryl Moore decides to do but I would be stunned if Doc Rivers is coaching the Sixers next season.

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