Big-time message sent in Philadelphia: Jayson Tatum finishes what Al Horford started

Right out of the All-Star break, the Boston Celtics have managed to grind out two hard fought victories on the road.

Two of the Eastern Conference’s best in one of the best environments in all of the NBA. What more could an NBA fan want? The third meeting between the Celtics and the 76ers lived up to all the hype. For just the seventh time this season, Jayson Tatum finished with a point total less than 20. Despite his poor shooting for the majority of the night, the former Duke star found ways to impact winning.

He collected a team-high 13 rebounds and six assists, and when it mattered the most, Tatum showed the entire league why he is one of the most cold-blooded players in the clutch. It was the perfect play. Marcus Smart’s pinpoint pass set it up. No. 0 left zero doubt when he ran with a full head of steam before stepping back and knocking down a shot that extinguishes the 76ers five-game winning streak. You could see it in the faces of the players, and the coaching staff on the Boston Celtics sideline when the buzzer sounded. This win meant a lot.

The 76ers had been playing sensational basketball captained by their own dynamic duo, coming back from 17 down in the previous game against the second best team in the Western Conference. All eyes in the NBA world were on the primetime slate in the city of brotherly love on Saturday night. It took a whole lot of grit, but Boston found a way to snatch its league-high 44th win of the season. Three meeting between these two teams this season, and all three have gone the way of Mazzulla and his selfless bunch.

Tatum was clearly not himself at in the first half, throwing the ball away carelessly and coming up short on shots he usually makes. He never let that get to his head. For the 24-year-old, this is what maturity is all about. Against another MVP candidate in Joel Embiid, Tatum found a way to close the door on a night when he was not his best version of himself.

With Boston down by as many as 15 points in the third quarter, the Boston Celtics needed a spark. Al Horford knocked down four straight threes including two assisted by Jayson Tatum to cut the Philadelphia lead down to one. From there, the energy from the veteran was contagious. It was a true team win that took the contributions of everyone on both ends of the floor.

Depth has been a major talking point around the Cs all season long, and this gritty road win was another reason why. All three of Boston’s contributors off the bench that played more than two minutes combined for a +52, turning the ball over zero times while combining for three blocks on the defensive end.

The 76ers simply could not match the depth of this ball club. Boston switched everything on defense, using its abundance of size and length to overwhelm an offense that managed to score just five points in the final five minutes of the third quarter.

The masked man, Jaylen Brown finished with a team-high 26 while Derrick White did nearly everything for the Cs while on the floor, concluding his night with a game-high +25 in 25 minutes. Boston frustrated the 76ers in transition all night, netting 25 fast break points. Getting out and pushing the ball ahead of the defense was were the Cs found the most success.

The Boston Celtics utilized their elite defense to consistently find easy buckets on the other end in the fourth. With under 10 minutes left to play in the final period, Brown and Robert Williams III punctuated two Boston fast breaks with back-to-back dunks. Brown knew when it was his time to take over the game. The former California guard scored or assisted on all of the Cs six baskets between the 9:06 and 3:52 mark of the final period.

Boston Celtics pick up inspiring win against 76ers

Inspiring. That is quite possibly the word that sums up this win the most. Horford, White, and Boston’s key role players inspired this team from a considerable margin on the road. The 76ers were coming in as one of just six teams in the NBA with 24 or more home wins.

It cannot be understated how impressive of a win this was against an in-form team on a floor where they have been nearly unbeatable all year. It was not the cleanest, or the most gorgeous brand of basketball at times for Boston. Maintaining that all-important No. 1 seed in the East is what matters at the end of the day. The road trip continues in New York on Monday, and after a win like this, the Cs are seeking to rain on the Knicks parade and put to bed a second straight five-game winning streak.