“We Were Resilient” — Tatum Lifts Celtics Past 76ers 108-100 in Game 3

Tatum, Brown power Boston to game 3 win

Tatum and Brown each had 25 points as Boston beat Philadelphia 108-100 to go up 2-1. Maxey scored 31 for the Sixers, who played Game 3 without Joel Embiid. Game 4 is Sunday.

 

Tatum and Brown combine for 50 points as Celtics take down 76ers in game 3...

The Boston Celtics took a 2-1 series lead over the Philadelphia 76ers with a 108-100 Game 3 win Friday night.

 

The Sixers had previously taken Game 2 in Boston to tie the series at one game apiece.

In a tight game where neither team led by more than 10, the Celtics carried a five-point lead into the fourth quarter. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 25 points to lead Boston.

Tyrese Maxey’s three-pointer briefly gave the Sixers an 85-84 lead with 8:42 left. Philadelphia trailed by one before Tatum hit a three to extend Boston’s lead to 100-96 with 1:57 remaining.

JB's 25 + JT's 25 = CELTICS G3 W.@FCHWPO: 25p, 7r, 4a, 3b@jaytatum0: 25p, 7a, 5 3pm

BOS (2-1) PHI I G4: Sunday, 7pm/et, NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/FrND3fDkmy

— NBA (@NBA) April 25, 2026

Payton Pritchard added another three with the shot clock winding down. Then Tatum - who missed most of the season after tearing his Achilles in last year’s playoffs - buried a dagger three to seal it for Boston.

“We were just resilient,” Tatum told Prime. “We stuck with it. It’s a game of runs. They’re a good team, and you’ve got to answer.”

Maxey led the Sixers with 31 points. Paul George added 18, and rookie VJ Edgecombe had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

A GAME-HIGH 29 FOR TYRESE MAXEY.

HE PUTS PHILLY IN FRONT ONCE AGAIN!!

GET TO PRIME FOR 4Q ACTION. pic.twitter.com/uYsN91uhRG

— NBA (@NBA) April 25, 2026

Sixers star Joel Embiid was ruled out shortly before the game as he continues to recover from an emergency appendectomy earlier this month.

  

“He’s just not ready,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said. His team will try to even the series when they host Game 4 on Sunday.