Tatum’s 4th quarter pushes Celtics past 76ers 95-86, forces Game 7

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jayson Tatum missed his first six 3-pointersbefore he drilled two straight clutch ones late in the game thatpushed the Celtics past the Philadelphia 76ers 95-86 on Thursdaynight to send the Eastern Conference semifinals back to Boston forGame 7.

Thedefending conference champs are in familiar territory. Bostontrailed 3-2 last season in the second round against Milwaukeebefore it won Game 6 on the road and the clincher at home.

Game 7 isSunday.

Tatum, whoaveraged 30.1 points in the regular season, never stopped shootingeven as the misses kept coming. He missed 14 of his first 15 shotsoverall from the floor and his ineffectiveness was a key reason theCeltics couldn’t hold a 16-point lead.

With a shotat their first conference final since 2001 at stake, the Sixersslogged through the first half before Joel Embiid flashed his MVPform and rallied the Sixers to a fourth-quarter lead.

TyreseMaxey hit two free throws with 5:25 left for an 83-81 edge.

And thatwas it for Philly.

Tatumburied one 3 for the 84-83 lead and a second that made it 87-83 andput the Celtics in firm control of Game 6.

Embiid andTyrese Maxey each scored 26 points for the 76ers.

76ers coachDoc Rivers has blown three 3-1 series leads over his playoffcareer. While the 76ers never got that far ahead, this is theirsecond loss at home in the series and they seemingly had seizedmomentum in the fourth quarter.

Tatuminstead stuck it to the 76ers with one final 3-point dagger for a95-84 lead.

AfterEmbiid’s pull-up jumper tied the game 81-all, 76ers didn’t make abucket over the final 6:13 of the game

Tatummissed all 10 shots, including five 3-point attempts, in the firsthalf half as the Celtics led by seven. Tatum has said he may needsurgery on his left wrist in the offseason in the wake of a hardfall. Whatever the cause of his shooting ails, he found the cure inthe final 12 minutes and the East champs still have life.

Tatumfinished with 19 points on just 5-for-21 shooting but the finalstat line mattered little after he keyed the 14-3 run that kept theCeltics’ conference repeat hopes alive under rookie head coach JoeMazzulla.

Just likeGame 3 when the Sixers squandered the momentum off Embiid’s MVPceremony, the 76ers again failed to keep a packed house as rockingas they were at tipoff. The Celtics took a fast 15-3 lead and thatsilenced the crowd and discombobulated the Sixers.

The Celticsled 40-26 because -- in part because of three 3s from MalcolmBrogdon -- but an ineffective half from Embiid, James Harden andTobias Harris. Embiid and Harris started 1 of 7 and Harden 2 of 8and yet, the deficit could have been much worse.

The Sixerssteadied themselves somewhat -- creaky Harden surprised everyonewith a rare, thunderous dunk -- and the Sixers had life down only50-43 at the break.

HE SAIDIT

“I’m readyfor war.” -- Mazzulla, with a stern look, on his mood ahead of Game6.

BIGFANS

BuffaloBills safety Damar Hamlin, Roots drummer Questlove, Eagles centerJason Kelce and his brother and Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce,and baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. attended the game.

TIP-INS

Celtics:Boston started 6-foot-10 Robert Williams instead of Derrick White.Williams started his first postseason game of the season. Mazzullasaid he made the change because “Rob gives us a lift.”

76ers:Harden finished 4 for 16, 0 for 6 behind the arc.