Philadelphia 76ers hold off the Boston Celtics, force game 7 – NBA Recap
The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Boston Celtics 82-75 here at the Wells Fargo Center, and tied the game Eastern Conference Semi Finals at 3 games apiece. The Sixers need some motivation after the game 5 loss to the Celtics and
facing elimination, the team called upon former MVP and Sixers guard Allen Iverson to deliver the game ball.
The crowd went crazy to the Wells Fargo Center at the sight of Iverson, who remains one of the most popular athletes in the city. Sparked by Iverson’s presence that got the crowd going, the Sixers played with motivation and fed
off the energy in the arena to win the game and force the series to a deciding game 7.
Jrue Holiday had 20 points and 6 assists for the Sixers, going 7 of 15 from the field and a perfect 6 of 6 from the foul line. This was his third 20 point plus game in the playoffs. Paul Pierce had 24 points and 10 rebounds for
the Celtics, and was 13 of 13 from the foul line. He was hot for the night but did not get a lot of touches in the final quarter that might have cost Boston the game.
It was a low scoring match, with Boston leading the Sixers 36-33 at half time, after a three pointer by Mickael Pietrus in the final seconds of the 2nd quarter. Trailing 35-41 early in the third period, the Sixers went
on a 9-0 run to take a 46-41 lead. The Celtics remained close behind, but did not regain the lead for the rest of the period. The Sixers led 60-56 at the close of the third period.
Leading 65-59 early in the final period, the Sixers scored five straight points, capped off by a running jump shot by Louis Williams, that gave them a 70-59 lead and removed chances of any Boston comeback. The Celtics came to within
five points of the Sixers with a three pointer by Paul Pierce and 32 seconds left in the game, but Holiday was fouled by Ray Allen on the next Sixers possession and scored both free throws to seal the victory. The Sixers eventually won 82-75.
Andre Iguodala had 12 points and 6 rebounds for the night, including 2 high flying dunks that got the crowd going. Elton Brand had 13 points and 10 rebounds on a solid night. Evan Turner had 12 points and 9 rebounds while Louis
Williams had 11 points and 6 assists on a night when the whole Sixers team had contributions towards the win.
Kevin Garnett had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics but apart from him and Pierce, no one else on the roster managed more than 9 points. Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo both finished with 9 points, while Brandon Bass had 8 points
and 5 rebounds. Bass was 2 of 12 from the field.
The Celtics had a 48-37 rebounding advantage over the Sixers, including a 14-7 advantage in offensive rebounds. But they shot only 33.3% from the field, their lowest percentage in playoffs since game 4 of the Eastern Conference
Finals back in 2008. They were averaging 48.8% over the last three games.
The Sixers shot 45.7% from the field, although they were 1 of 9 from the distance. They also missed crucial free throws, going 17 of 28 for the night, but were able to connect on the last two which sealed the victory. The Celtics
were 20 of 23 from the foul line but their offensive misses and shooting let them down on the night.
Game 7 will be played in the TD Garden on Saturday with the Sixers having a chance to repeat history. Julius Erving and the Sixers defeated Larry Bird and the Celtics on home court in the Eastern Conference Finals of the 1982 playoffs.
The Sixers will be looking to repeat the feat, while the Celtics will look to reaching the Finals yet another time.
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