Jayson Tatum Overcomes the Poor Play of Jayson Tatum, and the Celtics Survive

PHILADELPHIA — At the top of one of many stranger video games of his profession, Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics pounded the ball towards the court docket as the ultimate seconds elapsed. The sound of these arduous dribbles — every a percussive thud — appeared to fill Wells Fargo Center as 1000’s of 76ers followers tried to make sense of what had simply occurred in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

How was any of it attainable? How had the 76ers blown a chance to safe their first journey to the convention finals since 2001? How had the Celtics seized on such a easy change — sliding Robert Williams into their beginning lineup — to spice up their protection? And how had Tatum, after having spent most of his night chucking up wayward leap photographs, in the end preserved his workforce’s season?

“For 43 minutes, I had to hear them tell me how bad I was,” Tatum stated of the followers. “So it kind of felt good to see everybody getting out of their seats, leaving early.”

An odd collection filled with unusual video games will go the gap — as a result of why not? — after the Celtics put the clamps on the 76ers in a 95-86 victory on Thursday, forcing a Game 7 on Sunday in Boston.

Both groups are constructed to win now. These should not younger, overachieving franchises. The 76ers are determined to meet the long-awaited promise of their team-building blueprint referred to as the Process, with Joel Embiid, who lately collected his first N.B.A. Most Valuable Player Award, working as their focus. The Celtics, in the meantime, have been utilizing the slogan “unfinished business,” a nod to how shut they got here to profitable all of it final season after they misplaced to the Golden State Warriors within the N.B.A. finals.

An early exit for both the 76ers or the Celtics — and getting bounced from the playoffs within the convention semifinals would qualify — might result in a summer season of change. A win, although, could be seismic.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t want to go to Game 7 in Boston with any other group,” 76ers Coach Doc Rivers stated. “I know we’re going to rally. We’ve rallied all year long on the road.”

On Thursday, Tatum rallied from his personal struggles. He missed 13 of his first 14 field-goal makes an attempt, a stretch of futility that prolonged into the fourth quarter. His teammates, he stated, continued to feed him optimistic reinforcement. Keep rebounding. Keep defending. Keep passing. Keep capturing.

Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics’ first-year coach, went one step additional.

“I love you,” Mazzulla recalled telling him. “That’s a pretty powerful statement.”

Tatum’s first 3-pointer of the sport gave the Celtics an 84-83 lead. He sank one other one 39 seconds later. He made 4 3-pointers within the sport’s remaining 4:14, turning the world right into a mausoleum. He completed with 19 factors, 9 rebounds and 6 assists.

“We rely on him,” the Celtics’ Malcolm Brogdon stated. “He’s our guy. And he’s proven that he’s reliable in those moments. I don’t think there’s any doubt in anybody’s minds. It doesn’t matter how many shots he missed in the first three quarters. He’s going to finish the game for us.”

Tatum, a first-team all-N.B.A. choice for the second straight season, has no scarcity of confidence. In a walk-off interview with ESPN after Thursday’s sport, he referred to himself as “humbly, one of the best basketball players in the world.” It was fairly an announcement after he shot 5 of 21 from the sphere.

“I think that shows character that you call tell yourself that when you’ve only hit one shot,” he stated later, “and things aren’t going your way, and you’ve got to be the same person with the same morals, the same character whether you’re up or down. And I kept telling myself that. I believe in myself.”

Accordingly, Tatum gave Mazzulla a reprieve — for no less than a few days. Mazzulla, who was an assistant below Ime Udoka final season, took over because the workforce’s interim coach a couple of days earlier than the beginning of coaching camp when the Celtics suspended Udoka for unspecified “violations of team policies.” The Celtics eliminated Mazzulla’s interim tag in February and signed him to a contract extension.

But the strain on Mazzulla, 34, has solely mounted within the playoffs — and through this collection, specifically. There was Game 1, which the Celtics misplaced though Embiid was sidelined with a sprained knee. There was Game 4, which the Celtics misplaced in additional time after they pressured up a poor shot within the closing seconds. (Mazzulla later apologized to his gamers for neglecting to make use of certainly one of his remaining timeouts.) And there was Game 5, which the Celtics misplaced due to a listless show of basketball that had their residence followers booing them.

Before Game 6, Mazzulla made a long-overdue change by beginning Williams, a defense-minded middle, rather than Derrick White — a transfer that Marcus Smart, the workforce’s place to begin guard, endorsed. In addition to blocking two photographs and affecting numerous others, Williams had 10 factors and 9 rebounds.

“Joe’s learning, just like all of us,” stated Smart, who completed with 22 factors, 7 rebounds and seven assists. “I know he’s been killed a lot, rightfully so. He needed to make some adjustments, and he did that, and that’s all you can ask for — for him to just continue to be the best that he can be.”

Tatum described how he and Mazzulla had leaned on one another all through the season.

“I know there’s a lot of questions and doubts,” Tatum stated, “and I’ve told I’m a lot of times: ‘I’ve got you, I’ve got your back. We’re in this together.’”