Just when we thought that the defending NBA conference champions were about to be eliminated, their stars showed up at just the right time so that they could live to fight another day.
The Celtics overcame a hostile crowd in Philadelphia to beat the Sixers on the road and force a Game 7 back in Boston, whereas the Warriors will head back to Los Angeles in Game 6, although they’re still down 3-2 against the Lakers.
Elsewhere in MSG, the Knicks staved off elimination in Game 5 against the Heat thanks to the heroics of their stars and role players, while the Nuggets became the first team to seal their spot in the Western Conference finals after defeating the Suns in Game 6.
In case you missed it, don’t worry, as SBOTOP has you covered with the latest NBA 2023 updates.
Tatum answers the call for the Celtics
Jayson Tatum said humbly in the postgame interview that he is one of the best basketball players in the NBA, despite struggling for most of Game 6.
He only had three points in the first three quarters, going 1-for-13 from the field, and he also coughed up the ball four times. However, he came alive in the final period, outscoring the whole Sixers team 16-13, which included some timely three-pointers down the stretch.
Tatum made back-to-back threes to give his Celtics an 87-83 lead. From there, Boston never looked back, as Tatum stuck it to Philadelphia with one more three-pointer for a 95-84 lead.
Tatum finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, six assists, two steals, and two blocks. When he was struggling, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and Malcolm Brogdon held it down for the Celtics, finishing with 22, 17, and 16 points, respectively.
The defending Eastern Conference champions were in this exact same position last year. Boston trailed 3-2 against Milwaukee in the ECSF before winning Game 6 on the road and Game 7 at home.
And the NBA 2023 odds favour them to do it once again since Doc Rivers, the Sixers head coach, has a poor record in Game 7s. Prior to Sunday, Rivers had a 6-9 record in Game 7s, with his last victory dating back to 2015, when he was still with the Clippers.
Nuggets’ depth too much for undermanned Suns
For two consecutive seasons, the Suns’ postseason run came to an end in front of their home crowd, and both of those defeats were humiliating routs.
This time, Game 6 ended with a score of 125-100, as the Nuggets exposed the Suns’ lack of depth.
Devin Booker and Kevin Durant were spectacular in Games 3 and 4 of this series, but they simply ran out of gas here in Game 6 after trying to carry the whole team on their backs. The two of them shot badly from the field (12-for-32) and combined for only 35 points.
Meanwhile, Denver were buoyed by Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Jokic recorded his 11th career playoff triple-double with 32 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists, while Murray had 26 points and KCP finished with 21 points.
Warriors force Game 6
The Warriors are trying to rally from a 3-1 series deficit for only the second time in franchise history, and they’re one step closer after edging the Lakers at home in Game 5 to force a Game 6 back in LA.
Six different Warriors scored in double digits, with Steph Curry leading the way with 27 points. But the surprise package here was Draymond Green, who finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
Golden State’s offence, in particular, was clicking in Game 5, as they scored 70 first-half points, the most since scoring 72 in Game 6 against the Clippers in the first round of the 2019 postseason.
Brunson has nerves of steel
Jalen Brunson did whatever it took to keep the Knicks afloat, scoring a game-high 38 points while playing all 48 minutes. RJ Barrett and Julius Randle, who finished with 26 and 24 points, respectively, helped Brunson’s efforts.
Another Knick who played all 48 minutes was Quentin Grimes, who had eight points, four rebounds, and five assists, as well as the key steal that preserved their lead late. The Knicks are hoping to extend the series to Game 7 at MSG. Their Big 3 of Brunson, Randle, and Barrett are finally clicking at the same time, as they have all scored at least 20 points in three of their last four playoff games.
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