Fansided

Celtics legend Al Horford is too much for the 76ers: 3 takeaways

By Ian Levy

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 5: Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics runs on the court before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game Three of Round Two of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 5, 2018 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 5: Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics runs on the court before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game Three of Round Two of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 5, 2018 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Celtics legend Al Horford made all the plays in winning time, helping Boston move to a 3-0 series lead over the 76ers.

The 76ers hopes for taking out the Celtics in this series were resting on a change of venue, the familiarity of home and momentum to be regained. Boston had lost all three road games in the first round series against the Milwaukee Bucks. They broke that road losing streak here in Game 3, pushing the 76ers in overtime and ultimately making the key plays down the stretch.

The Celtics still need one more win to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals but they’ll have four more chances, including two in TD Garden in Boston. For all intents and purposes, this likely signals the end of an impressive season for the 76ers. Still, there are plenty more lessons to be learned for their young core and finding a way to win a game or two would build plenty of confidence as they head into next season.

Takeaways

Jayson Tatum might be the Celtics best player as soon as next season. Tatum has been exquisite throughout this series, scoring efficiently inside and out. On a night where Marcus Morris and Horford weren’t as efficient as they have been, Tatum’s scoring kept the Celtics offense moving. He finished with 24 points on 11-of-17 shooting, adding four assists. He’s proven this year he can be incredibly useful as a complimentary scorer but with another season under his belt he could be every bit as complicated a defensive challenge as Kyrie Irving or Gordon Hayward next season.

The 76ers shooting just hasn’t been right. Philadelphia’s role players — Dario Saric, J.J. Redick, Robert Covington, Ersan Ilyasova and Marco Belinelli — were lights out against the Miami Heat in the first round. The Celtics have had a voodoo like effect on opposing 3-point shooters over the past few seasons, persisting across different personnel groups. They certainly seem to have had an effect on Philly. In Game 3, that group was 9-of-29 on 3-pointers (31.0 percent). All five of those players were above 36 percent on 3s during the regular season but they’re collectively at 31.6 percent through three games against Boston. Not nearly good enough.

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Celtics legend Al Horford was the better center. Horford’s line was rather unremarkable in this game — 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. However, he continued to be a mismatch problem for the 76ers, throwing Joel Embiid out of whack. Embiid finished with 22 points and 19 rebounds, but he was also 10-of-26 from the field. Then there was what Horford did at the end of overtime — catching Robert Covington on a switch, holding him off to receive a looping pass from Marcus Morris and sinking the game-winning basket. Then he went out and sealed the win by stealing Philadelphia’s inbound pass on the ensuing possession. Veteran savvy beat unique talent.

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