Boston Celtics: 3 takeaways from Game 3 vs. 76ers

With a shocking victory in Game 3, the Boston Celtics have taken a commanding 3-0 series over the Philadelphia 76ers in their second round matchup.

The Boston Celtics continue to defy the odds, as they move just one win away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals with a 101-98 overtime victory on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Despite taking a 2-0 lead, many still lacked faith in Boston’s ability to win this series. With both teams headed to Philly, it was widely believed that the 76ers would regain some momentum on their home court, propelling them back into this historic rivalry.

The Celtics, however, were having none of that. With multiple big-time contributions on the offensive end as well as the usual stout defensive performance, Boston is ever so close to advancing without either Gordon Hayward or Kyrie Irving contributing anything on the court.

Jayson Tatum continues his veteran-like play, finishing with 24 points and converting on 11-of-17 shots while chipping in five rebound and four assists. Rookies aren’t supposed to be leading playoff teams in scoring, but Tatum has turned that into the norm for the C’s.

His rookie counterpart, though, struggled once again. Despite finishing with 14 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, Ben Simmons was a -11 in 42 minutes of action, including a missed dunk and questionable decision-making at the end of the overtime period.

The 76ers are a proud franchise, and while they are down, they’re certainly not out. If the Celtics want to get a few extra days of rest by bringing the brooms out, it’s going to take a lot of what they did in Game 3 to get it done.