The Boston Celtics are advancing to the Eastern Conference finals for the second straight year.
One game after missing 14 of his first 15 shots only to awaken in the fourth quarter in time to save their season, Tatum got off to the fast start the Celtics needed. He scored 25 in the back-and-forth first half and 17 more in Boston's 33-10 third quarter that turned a three-point lead into a runaway.
Tatum broke the Game 7 record that Golden State's Stephen Curry set with 50 points two weeks ago against Sacramento. The Celtics star added 13 rebounds and Jaylen Brown scored 25 points for Boston, which rallied from a 3-2 deficit in the best-of-seven series to keep alive their hopes for an unprecedented 18th NBA championship.
"I thought we had the right group. I really did," said Sixers coach Doc Rivers, who was on the Boston bench when the Celtics won it all in 2008."We played great all year and this loss absolutely diminishes what we did this year in some way. ... I think this team is headed right. I thought we took another step this season. And then tonight I think we took a step backward. But that's OK. That happens, too.
BANGED-UP BROWN Brown also dove into the Sixers bench to save a ball, then had words with the bench after Georges Niang grabbed his leg and kept him from getting back on the court. Both players were given technical fouls.Rivers is 6-10 in seventh games. The 10 defeats are five more than any other NBA coach and three more than the NHL's Mike Babcock and Bruce Boudreau. His teams are 6-16 in their last 22 chances to close out an opponent in a playoff series.
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