Philadelphia 76ers 88 vs. 112 Boston Celtics summary: stats and highlights

History was made in TD Garden as the Boston Celtics blewout the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Jayson Tatum had an unforgettable performance scoring a Game 7 all-time record 51 points in the 112-88 victory.

It was a series that was dominated by the road teams, as four of the six games were won by the away side but Tatum and the Celtics made sure that wasn't going to be case on Sunday afternoon.

Boston started Robert Williams instead of Derrick White as coach Joe Mazzulla went big for a second straight game, and once again he was massive in containing the league's MVP, Joel Embiid. Philly's big man started the game 2/8 and struggled to find his rhythm all game long finishing the day with 15 points.

It was P.J. Tucker who had the Sixers off on the right foot in the first quarter hitting three triples and ended the opening 12 minutes with 11 points. James Harden scored the opening bucket of the game of Philly, but did little else after that. This series has been marked by Harden and his ability to shoot the ball. In game's in which he shot well, the Sixers won in game's in which he shoot poorly, the Sixers lose. On Sunday, Harden went 3/11 and ended the day with 9 points.

Despite the shooting struggles, Philly kept even with Boston, who gave the keys to Jayson Tatum and told him to drive them to the promise land. He had 25 in the first half and he was just getting started.

Remember that this has been a tough series for Tatum, who had just three points after three quarters in Game 6. He would end that night as the hero, posting 16 in the final 12 minutes to force a Game 7 and he would continue his hot shooting into the Sunday afternoon from TD Garden.

Tatum led a charge at the end of the second quarter that gave the Celtics the narrow three point lead heading into halftime. They came out of the break and landed the knock out blow in the third quarter. The game was tied at 55, just after the break but Boston went on a 28-3 run to run away with the game and cruise to victory. Philly went on a spell of six scoreless minutes which was more than enough time for Tatum to bury the Sixers.

He ended the night with 51 points, setting a Game 7 all time record and the best part of it is he did it with his mom in the front row, on Mother's Day. His 51 was just three points shy of the Celtics playoff record set by John Havlicek in 1973.

The Celtics will now set their sights on the Miami Heat in a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Finals. Tip off to Game 1 is Wednesday at 8:30 pm ET.

In 20 years from now when this is still being talked about as an all time playoff performance, you will think back to this night when we all sat and watched in awe of greatness.

Jayson Tatum has made multi multi multi multi millions of dollars, but there aren't many presents yo can give your mom on Mothers Day that are more special than a 51 point Game 7 performance with her watching courtside.

After a heroic Game 6, Tatum proclaimed himself as one of the the best basketball players in the world. If there was anyone who might have doubted that claim, Game 7 should put those doubts to rest.

Tatum's 51 was a Game 7 all time record, and was three off the Celtics's playoff record of 54 points. There have been a lot of legendary performances in Boston over the years, this one has to rank among the all time best games by a Celitcs in the history of the franchise.

We were all expecting Tatum to break loose in this series, little did we know he was saving the best for last. The same guy that didn't have e field goal in the first three quarters of last game went 17/28 from the field in Game 7.

On some of these shots he couldn't even see the basket. Defenders were draped all over him, but it didn't matter he was money in Game 7 and no one was stopping him from carrying his team to victory.

The game was tied at 55 in the third quarter, but the Celtics exploded going on a 28-3 run to shut the door on the Sixers who went 6 minutes without scoring a point.

From here on out I'll assume were only getting Tatum highlights. Which is quite alright with me, I hope it's OK with you too.

Tatum wasted no time finding his stroke out of the half time break and had 30 jsut three minutes into the third quarter.

Tatum ended the first half with 25, 7 and 4 assists, but the Sixers were keeping pace with the Celtics through the first two quarters. That all changed in the third quarter.

Midway through the second quarter, Tatum had 16 points which is great for most but he showed us what it looks like when he is really on in the final 30 minutes of the game.

It's wasn't all Tatum in Game 7. Jaylen Brown had 25 in the close out win over the 76ers.

It didn't take long to realize we were on the verge of witnessing something special. Jayson Tatum made history on Sunday at the Garden, and he did it with his mom front row on Mother's Day.

IT'S ALL OVER!!! THE BOSTON CELTICS BLOWOUT THE PHILADELPHIA 76ERS IN GAME 7 FROM TD GARDEN!!

Springer with the pull up from the elbow and that's how it's going to end.

Springer with the steal and the slam.

Reed at the line and he hits two FTs after the foul on Champagne.

Champagne with the lay in underneath.

Brown hits the fader from outside the lane and he's got 25 on the night.

House with another easy bucket, this time he throws it down with a jam.

House with the drive to the cup and gets the lay in to go.

Brown on the pull up from a step inside the arc and that might be it for the Celtics starters.

Timeout with 3:52 to go in the fourth quarter.

Brown at the line and he hits both after the foul on Harris.

Harris lay up under neath after the Harden dish with under 5 to go in the game.

Brogdon with the finish at the cup after a Boston offensive rebound!

TATUM DID IT AGAIN!!!! HE'S GOT 51 POINTS IN GAME 7 AT TD GARDEN!!!!

Harris hits the fader from outside the paint.

Tatum back at the line after Maxey's foul and he hits both for 48 on the night.

Harris gets to the iron and hits the lay in off the glass.

Tatum goes back to the basket after a getting called for a goaltend on the other end.

Tatum with the drive and finish off the glass. He's got 44!

Embiid with a power dribble to the lane and he hits the lay up.

Maxey was fouled behind the arc out of the timeout and White was called for a flagrant foul for extending his foot into the landing zone. Maxey hits all three FTs and Philly gets the ball back.

Brogdon with the lay up off the Tatum assist and the Sixers need a timeout with under 10 to go.

Brogdon was left all alone so he pulls the trigger from downtown and the lead is enormus!

Melton hits the three ball in the corner to start the quarter.

We are at the end three quarters and the Celtics pulled away after the halftime break and that might be the knock out blow to the Sixers season. Philly scored just 10 points in that quarter. It was tied at 55 and the Celtics went on a 33-7 run to end the quarter.

Harris at the line after the foul on White and he hits both FTs.

Tatum drills the three ball from the top of the key and he has 42 on the night!

Brogdon back to the bucket and he lays it up and in.

Maxey pulls up from the mid range and finally breaks a 6 minute scoreless drive.

Smart kicks it out to White and he drills the three ball in the corner!

Celtics call a timeout with 2:38 to go in the third quarter. They are on a 25-3 run since early this quarter.

Embiid sends Tatum to the line and he hits one of two FTs.

Brogdon drills the three ball this time and everyone is getting a piece of the pie tonight at TD Garden!!!

24-3 run and Philly takes a timeout!!

The Sixers bring the double on Tatum and Brown was left open for the three!!! Boston is on a 21-3 run!

TATUM DID IT AGAIN!!! He jacks the three ball and he's got 38 on the night!!!

Timeout Philly with 6:14 left in the third quarter!

Brown drills the three ball with a hand in the face and the lead is the largest of the night!!!

Tatum at the line and he hits both after the foul on Embiid.

Harden on the step back three ball ad that was a much needed bucket for the Sixers and for Harden.

Tatum off the dribble and he jacks the three ball over Embiid! That's 33 for Tatum!!!

Tatum steps back and drills the three ball in the corner!!! He's got 30 already!!!

Timeout Celtics with 9:09 to go in the third quarter!

Tatum took advantage of the mismatch on Embiid and takes him off the dribble and lays it in.

Smart with a tough jumper just outside the lane.

Harris ties up the game with a three ball from the wing for the first bucket of the third.

WE ARE BACK IN BOTON FOR THE SECOND HALF OF ACTION!

Fending off Maxey and Embiid hasn't been easy, but Tatum single handily put his team in the lead late in the half.

There are games where Tatum seems unstoppable. Today he's having one of those games.

Brown has 13 points at halftime and is certain to have a big impact on the rest of this game.

Tucker drilled three three balls to start the game to keep the Boston crowd subdued for the opening quarter

Embiid started the game 2/8 from the field, but PJ Tucker kept the Sixers in the lead with 11 first quarter points.

Tatum knows he had to be great for 48 minutes of today's game and he got started early and hasn't slowed down since.

WE ARE AT THE END OF THE FIRST HALF FROM BOSTON!!!

Tatum has 25, 7 and 4 assists after struggling in the first half for most of this series.

Tucker started off the first quarter with 11 quick points, as Embiid took a while to get going. He ended the half with 13 and Maxey has 6. Harden is having another rough game from the field and that is not good news for Philly.

Side step from Tatum and he drills the three ball with under a minute left in the half!!!

Smart was left alone in the paint and he hits the runner in the lant.

Embiid goes into the body of Smart down low and he hit the lay up and got the foul! FT is good to complete the three point play.

Tatum in the paint and gets the floater to go, he's got 22 points already!

Embiid at the line after the foul on Williams and he hits one of two FTs.

Tatum at the line after the foul on Embiid and he hits both FTs.

Embiid at the line after the foul on Horford and he hits both FTs.

Tatum pops it over Tucker from the top of the key and he's flirting with 20 first half points.

Harris with the rebound and he takes it coast to coast for the lay up in the paint.

Maxey drills a three ball from the top of the key and he's keeping the Sixers in this game early on.

Brown taking the Sixers defense off the dribble and hit a tough lay up in traffic.

Embiid working in the paint and he gets the short jumper to go.

Tatum with back to back lay ups and the Celtics crowd is going wild!

Maxey with a slash to the rack and he lays it up and in off the glass.

Horford drills the three from the top of the key and the Celtics take the lead!

Harden down the lane and he floats it over the defense and in.

Tatum hits Williams streasing down the lane and he hits the lay up off the glass.

Brown just saved a ball in front of the Sixers bench and Niang grabbed his leg and held him up. Both got T'd up.

Brown with the steal and the score and the Sixers need a timeout with 7:57 to go in the half!

Tatum with the alley oop up to Williams who throws it down!!!

Brown goes to the line and hits both FTs after the flagrant foul.

Harden just went to the rim, lost the ball and hit Brown in the mouth with his flailing arm. After review, the refs ruled it a flagrant foul.

Tatum going back to the line after the foul on Melton, and he hits one of two FTs.

Melton with a lay in out of the inbound and the Sixers lead by 9.

Harden at the line after Boston didn't challenge and he hits both FTs.

Harden got fouled by White, and it was a questionable call at that. TD Garden is liviid and the Celtics take a timeout with 10:09 and they might want to take a look at that.

Harris at the line after the foul on Brogdon and he hits both FTs.

Brown hits a three ball with two hands in his face and he's got 7 on the day.

That brings us to the end of the first quarter!

Tatum has 11 to lead the Celtics and Tucker is leading the Sixers with 11!

Horford answers back with a three ball in the corner and he's struggled in this series. If he can get going that would be huge for Boston.

TUCKER WITH THE THREE BALL OUT OF THE INBOUND AND HE'S GOT 3 THREES AND 11 ON THE NIGHT!

Tatum backing down Melton and he hits the short shot off the bank from outside the lane.

Embiid hits the runner and takes the foul from Horford for the AND 1! FT is good to complete the three point play.

Maxey heads to the line after the foul on Brown and he hits both FTs.

Tatum going back to the rack and he's got 9 early points, and looks like he's feeling it from the start which is trouble for Philly.

Embiid going right at the rack and finishes over Horford for his first bucket of the night.

Harris with the pull up jumper and he seems like he's OK after a injury scare.

Melton gets the tip in off the miss from Maxey.

Smart drills the three ball in the corner after the kickout from Williams!

Tatum at the line out of the timeout and he hits one of two FTs.

Harris just went down clutching his knee and that's not a good sign for the Sixers. Timeout with 5:03 to go in the first quarter.

Tatum pulls up from the mid range and he hits the mid range J for 6 quick points.

Harden with the pump fake and the dump off for Tucker with the lay in. He's got 8 early points.

Tucker strings his second three of the quarter after the kickout from Harden!

Tatum at the line out of the timeout and he hits both FTs. He's got a quick four points already.

We are heading to the first timeout with 6:59 to go in the opening quarter.

Maxey on the drive and kick out, finding Tucker for the three in the corner!

Harris throws it down after the dish from Harden!

Maxey in the corner and he drills the three ball. He's got to be productive tonight.

Horford with the dump off to Williams who dunked it over Embiid!

Tatum crosses over on the perimeter and streaks to the rack from the slam!

Brown back into the paint and he hits the floater over Embiid.

Brown with a dash to the rack and he lays it up and in for the first Celtics points of the night.

Harden missed his first three of the night, but stole the outlet pass and dunked it for the first points of the day.

WE ARE UNDERWAY IN GAME 7 FROM BOSTON!!!

For the second straight game, Joe Mazzulla is going with a big starting five. Instead of starting Derrick White, he is going with Robert Williams. Last game he was huge in containing Joel Embiid while affecting the rest of the Sixers shots with his long arms and paint presence. Tonight he gets the start as the C's look to lock things down on the defensive end.

Tyrese Maxey has been a huge addition to the Philly duo, which is starting to become a trio. Maxey was incredible in the Game 5 win in Boston scoring 30 points, and tonight they will need him and Tobias Harris to be big off the bench.

James Harden has been a difference maker in this series, for the good and the bad. When he shoots well, the Sixers win. When he doesn't shoot well, the Sixers lose. In Philly's three losses he's shot 9/34, in their three wins he has shot 37/69 (53.6%). Tonight the Sixers need to see Harden on the money from the start. If he's not, it could me the end of the road for Philly.

There are moments in life that makes you realize just how trivial sports are. But those moments can also show us the healing power of sports. John Hao was one of the victims of the Michigan State University shooting. Hao is a big James Harden fan, and the Sixers star has formed a friendship with the Spartan student. He was in the house at Wells Fargo Center for Game's 4 and 6 and will be in Boston for the big one tonight.

Jaylen Brown cemented himself as one of the best guards in the league with his selection to the All NBA Second-Team. Unfortunately, that means that he is not eligible for his super max contract that would have been guaranteed if he made the First-Team this season. That means his future in Boston will be up in the air once the offseason comes, which begs the question: Could this be his last game as a Celtic?

Jayson Tatum has had a drastically underwhelming series, and I might have the secret that no one is really discussing. He has been public about feeling fatigue in last year's Finals run, and this year as a remedy he has been lifting weights in the hours before the game to get his body ready. This might explain why his shot is so off in the first few quarters of each of the last couple games. Lifting weights tires the muscles and alters your shot a bit, and if we need the proof all we need to do is look at the last few shooting performance of Tatum Last game he didn't have a single field goal in the first three quarters. The game before that he didn't have a field goal in the entire first half. Luckily for Boston, he turned it on at the end of Game 6 to force a Game 7, but him getting off to a hot start is going to be vital for the Celtics success tonight.

Being MVP meant a whole lot Joel Embiid. After two years of missing out on the award, the Cameroonian finally got to hoist the MVP trophy in the middle of this series. MVP's are supposed to put up fantastic stats, which he does but MVPs are also supposed to win. He can prove tonight that he is not just an MVP player in the regular season, tonight he can prove he is a player that can lead his team in the playoffs and carry them to a championship run.

It was another dreadful start to the game for Jayson Tatum who went into Philly in an elimination game and had the worst half of basketball in his entire NBA career going 0/11 and had just 3 points in the first three quarters. Luckily for the Celtics, James Harden and Joel Embiid weren't having much better games as the Philly duo shot 6/19 in the first half. Malcom Brogdon and Marcus Smart carried the Celtics for the first 40 minutes of the game, but it was Tatum who ignited in the fourth quarter, scoring 16 of his 19 on the night and hitting four threes in the final four minutes of the game.

Hello everyone and welcome to TD Garden where the Celtics return home, but that doesn't give them the advantage coming into today. Neither the Celtics or the Sixers have protected their home court well in this series, and Philadelphia will hope that trend continues tonight after failing to close out the Celtics at home on Thursday night. Out of the six previous games, the home team has one just twice, Boston in Game 2 the Sixers in Game 4. Can Jayson Tatum and The C's reverse the trend or will the MVP, Joel Embiid and the Sixers shut the door on the Celtics on the road?

It's Game 7 time in the Eastern Conference Semifinals!!! This series was destined for seven games, and this afternoon we will decide a winner from TD Garden. AS English will be with you all day providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis of tonight win or go home game from Boston.

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