76ers Vs Celtics: Boston Takes Game 3 and Moves Ahead 2-1
The 76ers vs celtics matchup turned tense in Game 3 on the road, but Boston finished stronger and left Philadelphia with a 108-100 win on Tuesday night. That result gave the Celtics a 2-1 lead in the first-round playoff series and kept the pressure on a Sixers team still without Joel Embiid. The game started at 7 p. m. ET, and Boston used key late shots and steady decision-making from coach Joe Mazzulla to close it out.
76ers vs celtics: Boston edges a tight Game 3
Boston had trouble pulling away early, but the Celtics found enough offense to survive a game that stayed close before the final margin opened up. Jayson Tatum led the way with 25 points, hitting 52. 9% of his shots, while also adding seven assists, four rebounds, one steal and only one turnover. Jaylen Brown matched him with 25 points of his own, shooting 56. 2% from the field and contributing seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal.
The result mattered beyond the scoreboard. With the win, the Celtics moved closer in a series that had been tied after two games in Boston. The 76ers vs celtics battle now shifts with Boston holding the edge, while Philadelphia continues trying to answer without its starting center.
Historic night for Tatum and Brown
Tatum’s performance carried historical weight. He became the fourth Celtics player all time to reach 3, 000 points in the NBA Playoffs, joining Larry Bird, John Havlicek and Kevin McHale. He also joined a short list of players with 3, 000-plus points, 1, 000-plus rebounds and 500-plus assists in their first 10 seasons, alongside Bird and LeBron James.
Brown reached a milestone too. His 25-point night moved him into seventh place on the Celtics’ all-time NBA Playoffs scoring list, pushing him ahead of Bill Russell and Robert Parish. In a game that demanded answers possession by possession, both wings delivered them.
Sixers stay short-handed, and the home crowd stays loud
Philadelphia remained without Joel Embiid, who has been out with appendicitis. That absence has shifted more responsibility to the rest of the roster, and rookie VJ Edgecombe has helped carry part of that load, including a 30-point showing in Game 2. The Sixers also had the home crowd behind them in Game 3, giving the night a louder edge and a sharper playoff feel.
The Celtics entered as 7-point favorites with the over/under set at 215, but Boston still had to earn every possession. The 76ers vs celtics series has already shown it may not follow the script many expected after the opening games.
What happens next
Boston now holds a 2-1 series lead and is just 14 wins away from its 19th banner. The next game will show whether Philadelphia can answer at home again without Embiid, or whether Boston can keep building on the momentum from this 76ers vs celtics win. The series is still alive, but Game 3 made clear that every strong quarter and every big shot will matter from here.
