James Harden scored 45 factors as the Philadelphia 76ers surprised the Boston Celtics within the NBA playoffs on Monday earlier than Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets took a commanding 2-0 sequence lead over the Phoenix Suns.
In a pulsating Eastern Conference duel in Boston, Harden produced a classic efficiency -– together with a pivotal go-ahead three-pointer with 8.4 seconds remaining — to depart the TD Garden in surprised silence as the Sixers snatched a 119-115 recreation one victory.
The Sixers’ win was achieved with out their finest participant, injured talisman Joel Embiid, who watched from the bench after failing to get better from a knee damage.
“We’re only a resilient staff,” Harden said. “Even without Joel, we’ve got the confidence to come here and win games.
“We’ve been doing it all year long, that’s a good one for us.”
Harden’s factors haul got here from 17-of-30 capturing and included seven three-pointers.
“He was superior,” Sixers coach Doc Rivers said. “Kept his cool, knew when to attack, knew when to give it up.”
Tyrese Maxey offered offensive assist with 26 factors whereas Tobias Harris added 18 and De’Anthony Melton 17.
The Celtics had been led by 39 factors from Jayson Tatum whereas Jaylen Brown chipped in with 23 factors and Malcolm Brogdon 20.
With Boston exploiting the absence of Embiid to attain freely within the paint, the Celtics jumped out to steer by 12 within the second quarter.
But Harden and Maxey’s scoring ensured that the Sixers remained in contact coming down the stretch with solely a handful of factors separating the 2 groups within the closing phases.
A free go from Brogdon with 32 seconds left on the clock handed Maxey a simple uncontested layup to place Philadelphia 114-113 up, earlier than Tatum hit again with two free throws to offer Boston a slender 115-114 benefit.
But with the clock operating down, Harden superior up the courtroom and took his time earlier than nervelessly sinking a elegant three-pointer from 25 ft to offer Philadelphia a 117-115 lead with simply seconds remaining.
Rivers mentioned Harden’s ice-cool three-pointer on the loss of life was a rebuttal to critics who’ve lengthy accused the 33-year-old former NBA Most Valuable Player of folding beneath stress.
“I assumed he had simply the right mindset tonight,” Rivers said. “I’m so happy for him because it just tells you what he can do on a given night.
“It’s amazing — the guy’s a Hall-of-Famer and all you hear is the other stuff about him. He’s fantastic.”
Game two of the best-of-seven sequence takes place in Boston on Wednesday.
Suns eclipsed
In Monday’s different playoff recreation, Denver’s reigning two-time NBA MVP Jokic completed with 39 factors as the Nuggets staged a fourth-quarter rally to eclipse the Phoenix Suns 97-87 and take a 2-0 sequence lead.
Devin Booker completed with 35 factors for Phoenix whereas Kevin Durant added 24, however the Suns had been unable to reply as Denver pulled away to outscore the guests 27-14 within the fourth quarter.
Jokic’s 39-point haul included 26 after half-time as the Nuggets took management of a low-scoring contest that noticed Phoenix lead by eight factors within the third quarter.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope delivered an important cameo for Denver with a flurry of three three-pointers within the fourth quarter, serving to to take the sport away from Phoenix as the clock ran down.
A depressing night time for Phoenix was compounded by an damage to veteran Chris Paul, who limped to the locker room close to the tip of the third quarter after showing to injure his groin.
“Both groups didn’t shoot nicely, it was a low-scoring recreation 87-97, it was a troublesome, tough recreation — however we received the sport and that’s a very powerful factor,” Jokic mentioned.
The victory came as Jokic prepares to discover on Tuesday whether he has won the NBA’s regular season MVP award for a third straight year.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Jokic had delivered an MVP-caliber performance to drag Denver over the line.
“Nikola’s an MVP for a reason. He can take over a game. He can beat you in a lot of ways. I love an aggressive Nikola Jokic,” Malone mentioned.
The Denver coach mentioned Jokic nevertheless was solely centered on ending the Nuggets’ watch for a primary NBA Championship.
“I do know what motivates Nikola Jokic, myself, and the remainder of the fellows in that locker room – it’s not the MVP,” Malone said.
“If he wins it, we’ll be celebrating and very happy for him because it’s a huge accomplishment, three years in a row.
“And if he doesn’t win it I’m going to give him a hug because he’s still the MVP in my eyes.”
The sequence now heads again to Arizona for recreation three on Friday.
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