Nikola Vučević Delivers 11 Points in Boston’s Game 3 Win
nikola vučević played 30 minutes for the first time as a Celtic and helped Boston win Game 3 in Philadelphia. The 35-year-old finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks, a bigger workload that came with Neemias Queta in early foul trouble.
Vučević and the Celtics
Boston needed him longer than usual, and he answered with 4-for-10 shooting and a steady two-way line. One more win in the series would match his postseason wins for his career before joining the Celtics, a sharp marker for a player who said, “It’s what you want to do as a professional athlete: Be in these moments, be in big games, be able to deliver for your teammates.”
He also helped create offense without forcing it. Less than 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, Vučević hit a corner three, then later made a drive-and-kick pass to Jayson Tatum for Tatum’s first of two clutch threes.
Philadelphia Paint Pressure
Philadelphia made him earn every touch. Andre Drummond was often his matchup, and the 76ers played him off on pop-outs while keeping Drummond closer to the paint. That left Boston looking for other ways to involve him, including an inverted pindown in the third quarter with Sam Hauser setting the screen and Adem Bona forced to help.
Boston also mixed in more up-to coverage after using heavy drop pick-and-roll coverage in Game 2, and Vučević’s defense stood out as the night’s strongest part of his line. He scored his first-quarter three when Jaylen Brown drove and kicked out against help from Tyrese Maxey and Drummond, then closed with the kind of workload Boston expected when it acquired him at the trade deadline.
Mazzulla Trusts the Rotation
Joe Mazzulla said, “I thought Vooch stepped up for us big time tonight on both ends of the floor.” He added, “Anybody we put in has a chance to help us win, so we’ve got to keep that going.”
Vučević framed it simply after the win: “So, it was a good win, but now we’re on to the next one.” Boston now has a center who can stretch a playoff game in Philadelphia, survive foul-driven rotation swings, and still finish with points, boards, playmaking and blocks when the matchup tightens.
