Category: Sports News

I am 52. Most of my friends are around my age. On a regular basis, someone I know turns fifty.

And this is what I send them:

Five-Oh!

Today Tim Duncan turns the big 5-0!

Tim Duncan is one of the GOATs of the game, one who exemplified Spurs Culture and said more with his gaze than most do in a soliloquy.

In some cases, it got him in hot water.

He also had a great sense of humor.

Oh, yeah, and Tim was a killer basketball player.

May you have the best year to come, Big Fun. May you be surrounded by friends, and have lots of laughs.

Happy birthday, Timmy.

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LeBron James was exhausted. Marcus Smart was drained. Luke Kennard was invisible.

The Lakers were cooked, the playoff magic finally drained from a team without its two leading scorers, a team in the process of making every conceivable mistake, reality bouncing off their feet and ricocheting off their hips and falling out of their hands.

On a jarring Friday night at Houston’s Toyota Center, the Rockets led by six with 30 seconds remaining and had possession of the ball. They just needed to get it upcourt. They just needed to play catch.

The Lakers were done.

And if you believe that, then you don’t believe what they believe.

They believed Smart would steal a terrible backcourt pass, absorb a terrible shooting foul and make three free throws.

Read more:Marcus Smart leads Lakers to commanding 3-0 lead over Rockets in playoff series

They believed James would knock away a dribble on the next possession, run to beyond the three-point line, take a pass from Kennard and sink a game-tying trey.

They believed in the miracle of forcing this game into overtime, then believed in the destiny of a 112-108 victory to take an historically insurmountable three-games-to-none lead in a first-round playoff series they should have lost.

How frantic was that finish? In the postseason over the last 29 years, NBA teams that led by six or more points in the last 30 seconds are now 1,713-2.

“It was just a gutty win for us,” James said.

Gutty, gritty, growling, great, great win.

“Everything that we needed to do, even when it wasn't pretty, we just kind of found a way to do it,” said coach JJ Redick. “And ... we're playing hard. I mean, that's what you have to do to put yourself in a position to win."

They are true believers, this bunch, as much as any Laker team has believed since the 2020 championship run, perhaps more than any other Lakers team in history.

They believe in their legendary leader, LeBron. They believe in the playoff-tough Smart. They believe in their connectivity, in their desperation, in their destiny.

They believe this is a special team. Once they get their two injured scorers back — and Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic are apparently returning faster than anyone imagined — they believe this could be a championship-contending team.

They will find out in the next round, when their opponent will be either the defending champions from Oklahoma City or the the Phoenix Suns.

Even if they finish off the Rockets in a sweep — and this series is already over considering NBA teams are 159-0 with a 3-0 lead — they will be considerable underdogs moving forward.

Surely they were lucky that star Kevin Durant didn’t play in two of these three games, including missing Friday’s Game 3 with a sprained ankle.

Surely they can’t keep winning games with 21 turnovers and half as many offensive rebounds and blown 15-point leads.

Surely that even if Reaves and Doncic return, they will revert to being the same team that lost to Oklahoma City by 43 points and lost to San Antonio by 16 in their most recent meetings while at full strength.

Surely they’re not this deep and committed and inspired as they’ve shown in these first three games.

Right? Wrong. Were you watching?

The Rockets used numerous Lakers mistakes and defensive mistakes to take the lead in the final five minutes and seemingly hold it for a series-changing victory. The dagger appeared to be a fastbreak dunk by Alperen Sengun to give the Rockets a 101-95 lead and eventually the ball with the crowd roaring and barely 30 seconds left.

Little did they know the Lakers had them right where they wanted them.

“We've talked ... about elevating everything,” said Redick, later adding, “You have to elevate your poise, you have to elevate your composure, recognizing that there's going to be moments where the crowd's going crazy or you get down, they make a run, whatever it may be. We weathered a lot tonight. ... And then, in that moment, just to have the poise to just keep playing."

The Lakers had that poise. The Rockets lost their cool.

In that moment... what was Jabari Smith Jr. doing throwing a looping backcourt pass to apparently nobody? And after Smart grabbed it and threw up a desperate three... what was Jae’Sean Tate doing fouling him?

“I see Tate running really fast and I’m like, 'OK, he probably not going to be able to stop in time,'" explained Smart. “So, I just pulled up right away and he ran right under me, exactly what happened. So, it was a smart play. That’s part of my vet, being a vet and my vet savvy. Been in the league for 12 years. I picked up some tricks from some guys.”

Even after the vet’s three free throws, the Rockets still could have easily won this, but... what was Reed Sheppard doing casually dribbling the ball upcourt without noticing James behind him? James knocked the ball away for the steal, eventually got it back, and drained a trey with 13 seconds remaining for the eventual overtime-sending gut punch.

"We don't have the luxury of being passive or being complacent," James said. “Our whole mindset is we have to do everything it takes in that particular game and that particular moment in that particular possession in order for us to win basketball games, because we don't have a long leash of error. We don't have a lot [of room] for error."

Once they reached the extra period, well, it was over the moment an angrily stunned Sengun threw a towel to the floor in front of the Rockets' bench moments after the end of regulation.

The Rockets were unnerved and eventually undone.

Smart started the extra period by hitting a three, then kept the Lakers' mojo going with a flying save of a rebound that became a Rui Hachimura layup.

Soon thereafter James went to the floor fighting for a ball, then missed a shot that Smart came out of nowhere to grab the offensive rebound, leading to two free throws that eventually put the game out of reach.

Even on a night when James scored 29 points, had 13 rebounds, and threw an ally-oop pass to son Bronny for a reverse layup — so cool! — the hero here was Smart.

He was signed by the Lakers last summer for his postseason toughness and savvy, and he showed every bit of it Friday, with 21 points, 10 assists and five steals. Not to mention, eight points in overtime.

“You got to leave it all on the court, because you never know," Smart said. ”Because you never know. It can be taken away at any moment, right? And with two of our best players down, we got to play desperate. We got to be the most desperate team and that’s how we have been playing and that’s how we are winning, right? The chemistry has been built because of that.”

It’s a chemistry that works. It’s a chemistry that has built a faith even amid Friday night’s immeasurably high hurdle, a faith that should persist beyond the framework of this finished first-round series.

Down six. Thirty seconds left. Steal the game. Steal the series.

Believe.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

1. TATUMadelphia

After years of hitting clutch shots and beating the Toronto Raptors in playoff series, LeBron James eventually got the nickname “LeBronto.” At what point do we come up with a nickname for Jayson Tatum against the 76ers? In my mind I will go with “Tatumadelphia” but I’m sure there’s a better one that roles off the tongue. Either way we saw Tatum once again come up clutch against the 76ers, finishing with 25 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds on 9-17 shooting from the field and 5-9 shooting from three.

Tatum took over in the fourth quarter, playing all 12 minutes and finished with 11 points on 4-5 shooting. Tatum looked incredibly aggressive in the fourth quarter, he just put his head down and attacked the 76ers defense to the basket any chance he got. That opened up his three point shot, where he hit 2 threes in the final two minutes with no shot being bigger than the dagger three he hit with 26 seconds left to give Boston a 6-point lead.

This big Game 3 from Tatum was nothing new for him as he has shown up big in the third game of series over his career with averages of 24.3 Points, 7.1 Rebounds, 4.7 Assists, 43% FG%, and 32% 3P% in 23 games. He also joined Larry Bird, John Havlicek, and Kevin McHale as the only other player in Celtics franchise history to reach over 3,000 Playoff points scored in their career.

2. Jaylen Brown Energy Shifter

Jaylen Brown is known for his iconic “The energy is about to shift” tweet he made back in 2022, but this game really showed that Energy Shifting in full force in the fourth quarter. Brown finished the night with 25 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks on 9-16 shooting. He also passed Robert Parish for 7th on the Celtics all-time playoff points scored list.

Brown took a short break to begin the fourth quarter after playing the entire third quarter but once he checked in at the 8:41 mark, his impact was felt immediately. With both teams fighting to take the lead, Brown stole the ball way from Tyrese Maxey and took it down the other way to find a streaking Derrick White for a layup.

This one play ignited Jaylen Brown who had a 8 points on 3-4 shooting in the fourth quarter. Brown’s defense and ability to keep the Celtics above water in a close game was what made the difference. We don’t see Tatum hit that dagger three with 26 seconds left if Brown doesn’t keep Boston in the game.

3. Payton Pritchard Stepped Up

Through the first two games of this series, the Jays averaged 53.0 Points, 18.0 Rebounds, 11.5 Assists, and 3.0 Steals. This was great for Boston, but the main reason why they lost in Game 2 was due to the rest of the team not being able to help Brown and Tatum on the offensive end.

Payton Pritchard was one of those guys who were struggling through the first two games, averaging 8.0 Points on 2-13 (15%) from three point range. Pritchard was able to bounce back and answer the call in Game 3, finishing with 15 points on 5 three pointers. Three of those shots from beyond the arc came in the second half when the Celtics needed them most. The biggest came at the 1:17 mark of the fourth quarter when Tatum passed him a grenade at the end of the shot clock and Pritchard buried a side-step three from the corner to keep the Celtics at a two-possession lead.

4. Never Doubt Derrick White

Similar to Payton Pritchard, Derrick White was another player who struggled offensively in the first two games for Boston, averaging 9 points on 4-17 (23.5%) shooting from three. Unlike Pritchard, White’s offensive struggles continued in Game 3 where he finished with 11 points on 3-12 shooting from the field and 1-8 from three. There were points in this game where I seriously thought the Celtics should take him out entirely because it looked like White was just struggling to be productive on both sides of the ball.

I can’t believe I even thought benching Derrick White was a good idea because he once again, found a way to make winning plays in the fourth quarter. White grabbed a monumental offensive rebound off a missed three by Vucevic that directly led to Jayson Tatum hitting the dagger three with 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter. It is incredible that no matter what White is doing when it comes to shooting the ball, he will always find a way. That is the definition of a winning basketball player and although the shot is still a concerned that should be monitored, I have learned to never doubt Derrick White.

5. The Big Man Dilemma

Neemias Queta has had a hard time staying on the court in this series, finding himself in foul trouble way too often. Nikola Vucevic, who had a pretty solid first half, started the third quarter over Queta and once picked up his fourth foul with 1:05 left in the third quarter, Queta didn’t end up playing for the rest of the game. Vucevic meanwhile, played really well in 31 total minutes, finishing with 11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks on 4-10 shooting from the field and 3-9 shooting from three.

This brings back a dilemma, because although Vucevic had 3 blocks, he still isn’t the best defender in the world. This was mostly seen at the end of the game where he doubled Paul George on back-to-back plays when he didn’t need to and it ended in wide open Andre Drummond dunks late in the fourth quarter. At the same time, Queta is clear and away a better defender and can be a more impactful offensive player inside for the Celtics but he can’t stop committing dumb fouls.

It makes me wonder how the Celtics are going to continue to handle the big man rotation. Vucevic is the more experienced player of the two, having more experience playing big time minutes in the playoffs but Queta is very clearly the better player overall. Maybe we see more Luka Garza minutes? He played 4 minutes in Game 3 and finished with 3 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist on 1-3 shooting. This is a situation that we knew was most likely going to play out but I am still interested to see how Mazzulla continues to handle the center rotation.

6. Need More Baylor Scheierman

Baylor Scheierman has not played a ton of minutes for the Celtics so far in the playoffs but when he ahs, most of them have come in the second quarter. This is often a case where either Brown or Tatum can get a breather and Boston can use Scheierman as a Hauser replacement on the court. Even in only 8 minutes in Game 3, we saw Baylor stuff the stat sheet, with 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal on 2-3 shooting from three.

Scheierman was able to make winning plays from his first shot attempt, hitting a no-dip three from the corner and grabbing a big offensive rebound where he threw a dart to Derrick White for a three-pointer. Baylor showed his hustle mid way through his run after Jaylen Brown blocked Paul George, he was able to steal the ball away from Philadelphia on the rebound.

We saw Scheierman get shown a little bit more trust later in the game when he started the fourth quarter for the Celtics to give Brown a breather. He showed off why it was a good decision by Joe Mazzulla to put him out there, immediately playing lockdown defense on Paul George and forcing a steal. I wonder if we see more of Baylor Scheierman in the rotation moving forward because he is really starting to open some eyes with his impact on both ends of the ball.

7. Too Many Turnovers

The Celtics were the best team in the regular season when it came to taking care of the ball, only averaging 12.4 turnovers per game. However we have seen Boston get consistently more sloppy with the ball in the playoffs. They had 8 turnovers in Game 1, 11 turnovers in Game 2, and in Game 3 we saw the Celtics turn the ball over an astonishing 17 times.

The ball handling from Boston in this game was not great and they committed so many careless turnovers that Philadelphia was able to translate on more often than not. The 76ers finished with 21 points off of turnovers and was a big reason why they were able to keep pace with the Celtics throughout the game. Boston needs to clean up the turnovers moving forward because there isn’t a guarantee they win a game the next time they turn the ball over 17 times.

8. Three-Ball Returns

In their Game 2 loss, the Celtics shot 13-50 (26%) from three and shot 25% from three in the second half. It looked like they were just chucking up threes on almost every possession and with the 76ers shooting 19-39 (49%) from beyond the arc, it was a recipe for disaster. Game 3 saw the Celtics bounce back from distance, shooting 20-47 (43%) from three and you could tell they were generating good shots. In the fourth quarter alone they shot 4-8, compared to Philadelphia who shot 3-10.

9. Paint Presence

Boston finished with 11 blocks in this game as a team and it was a testate to their paint defense holding up. Brown, Vucevic and White all had 3 while Queta had 2 of his own. The first two games saw the Philadelphia mostly focus on shooting from beyond the arc to generate their baskets. However, they went away from their three point heavy approach in Game 3 and decided to take 31 shots in the paint where they shot 68%. The Celtics don’t have the most vaunting paint presence with Queta in foul trouble and Vucevic not being the best defender, but Boston was able to hold up.

The rebounding department saw more success for the Celtics, out-rebounding the 76ers 45-37. Out of those 45, 15 of which came on the offensive end for Boston. Although it felt like Philly was able to grab a ton of offensive boards down the stretch, Boston was able to once again hang on. It is encouraging to see Boston be able to hold up against a team primarily attacking the paint.

10. Responding to Adversity

Following the Game 2 loss, the only thing I personally wanted to see from the Celtics was just being able to respond in Game 3 with a victory and they lived up to expectations. It’s a testament to the experience guys like Brown, Tatum, and White have in these moments, finding a way to win. Tatum said in his postgame interview “I’ve been here before” when keeping his composure down the stretch of this game and it is a sentiment I see with this entire team.

Although a lot of the pieces are new, the Celtics as a whole are not new to playing playoff basketball. They have guys who know what it takes to face adversity after a loss in the playoffs and what they have to do to bounce back. Shoutout to the main guys on this team for responding and shoutout to Joe Mazzulla and the coaching staff for having the rest of the team ready to play.

As the NBA enters its postseason crescendo, its carefully cultivated image as one of the most progressive leagues in sports is once again in the spotlight due to its partnership with Rwanda, which has long been accused of human rights abuses and war crimes.

In March 2026, the Trump administration announced sanctions targeting Rwanda’s military and four senior officials for its role in abuses and military aggression in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Shortly after the announcement, one of the top teams competing in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) – a premier continental league co-founded by NBA Africa – suddenly withdrew from the competition. As it turned out, that team had deep ties to Rwanda’s sanctioned military.

“APR will no longer participate in the 2026 BAL season,” read a statement published by the BAL on 13 March.

Armée Patriotique Rwandaise Basketball Club, commonly known as APR, is a prominent Rwandan basketball club based in Kigali that dates back to the Rwandan genocide in the 1990s. The team is owned and funded by the Rwanda Defence Force – a fact that is proudly stated on the team’s BAL profile page. In January 2026, the RDF even hosted a luncheon for APR players and staff to celebrate their victory in the local Super Cup.

Under US treasury sanctions, any assets held by the RDF within American jurisdiction are frozen, and US entities are prohibited from engaging in transactions with the military or individuals connected to it. Because the BAL operates under the NBA – a US-based organization – permitting a team directly tied to a sanctioned military body to compete could expose the league to serious sanctions compliance risks. While the sanctions are limited to the RDF and do not extend to other sectors of the Rwandan government, it brought renewed attention to the NBA and its friendly ties with Rwanda’s infamous president, Paul Kagame.

Serving as the de facto ruler of Rwanda since 1994, Kagame drew international praise for commanding the rebel force that ended the Rwandan genocide. However, he has since ruled his country with an iron fist, allegedly committing severe and systematic human rights abuses both within Rwanda and beyond its borders. This includes forced disappearances, assassinations of political opponents, torture and state-imposed censorship. In 2024, Kagame topped his own record by winning the presidential election with more than 99% of the vote, reflecting his totalitarian grip over the African nation.

The NBA’s relationship with Rwanda officially began in August 2015, when some of the top coaches from the league hosted a basketball camp in the capital of Kigali as part of the Giants of Africa program. The following year, Kagame attended an NBA Africa luncheon with league commissioner Adam Silver as part of the All-Star Game festivities. In 2018, he delivered a keynote speech at a reception hosted by the NBA in New York City.

At the time, Kagame’s regime had already helped launch two wars in the DRC, which led to the deaths of millions of people in the region. Thousands of Kagame’s soldiers and allied M23 militia continue to operate in eastern DRC, displacing hundreds of thousands of people, plundering mines rich in strategic mineral resources and leaving a trail of massacres, rapes and other gross human rights abuses. Nevertheless, the NBA continued to deepen its ties to Kagame. When NBA Africa and Fiba launched the BAL, Rwanda secured the hosting rights for the inaugural season in 2021.

By positioning Rwanda as a key hub for basketball and the NBA in Africa, Kagame was able to frame himself as a leading African figure in a sport that was among the most popular in the United States and was gaining traction across the African continent. He has since made regular appearances at NBA games – flanked by an entourage of friends and family – attended NBA summits as a guest of honor, and made Rwanda a key player in Africa’s basketball aspirations.

In December 2023, Kagame’s former aide and cabinet minister, Claire Akamanzi, was appointed CEO of NBA Africa, further consolidating Kagame’s influence over the sport on the continent. Less than two years later in September 2025, Visit Rwanda – the official tourism brand of the Rwanda Development Board – announced a multi-year sponsorship agreement with the Los Angeles Clippers, further cementing its presence across the sport. The deal further expanded Visit Rwanda’s global sports portfolio, which also includes deals with Paris Saint-Germain and Atlético Madrid.

In February 2026, Kagame once again attended the NBA All-Star Game before meeting with top NBA officials to discuss the future of the game in Africa. Among those present at the discussions was NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, who had previously defended the NBA’s ties to Kagame in an ESPN story. When two US senators later accused the NBA of “putting profit over principle”, Tatum once again defended the league by stating that the NBA follows “the lead of the US government as to where it’s appropriate to engage in business around the world”.

“If American policies were to change regarding business activities in and relating to Rwanda or any other BAL market, our actions would of course change accordingly,” Tatum wrote in response to the senators. After the withdrawal of the RDF-funded APR, the BAL announced that APR would be replaced by another local team called the RSSB Tigers, which is owned by the Rwanda Social Security Board. The team has since qualified for the BAL playoffs, which are set to take place in Kigali in May.

When contacted by the Guardian, the NBA reiterated that the league continues to comply with US government guidance regarding its engagement in Rwanda, and pointed me to Tatum’s previous statements on the subject.

For now, the NBA remains in compliance with US foreign policy, which has so far targeted only Rwanda’s military and a handful of officials. But whether its relationship with Rwanda, and with Kagame, will pose greater risks down the line remains an open question.

LeBron James tapped the ball away from Houston’s Reed Sheppard. Marcus Smart fired a two-handed pass to James, who bobbled it and slapped it to Luke Kennard. Kennard faked a shot. He whipped a pass back to James.

Down three with 14 seconds left in regulation of Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs Friday, James lined up a three. Two Houston players ran into each other while desperately trying to defend the shot.

With the ball hanging in the air and the game on the line, was there ever a doubt on the Lakers' bench?

Read more:Marcus Smart leads Lakers to commanding 3-0 lead over Rockets in playoff series

“Absolutely not,” guard Bronny James said. “It's the Lakers.”

Already one of the league’s best clutch-time teams, the Lakers stirred up magic again Friday, overcoming a six-point deficit in the final 30 seconds of the fourth quarter to earn a 112-108 overtime win over the Houston Rockets. The Lakers took a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series and will go for their first playoff series sweep since the second round in 2010 on Sunday in Houston.

The Lakers already won two nervy road games over the Rockets during the regular season. But the hero from those wins was dressed in a crisp white T-shirt and gray pants Friday. Luka Doncic, nursing a left hamstring injury, even took off his white jacket during the dramatic overtime. He had no reason to worry with James at the helm.

The 41-year-old played 45 minutes and four seconds, hit the game-tying three-pointer with 13.6 seconds left in regulation and had a team-high 29 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. Smart had 21 points, 10 assists and, for the second straight game, five steals, including one with 27.8 seconds left in regulation that set up three critical free throws.

The veterans have played in 406 combined playoff games and, hoping to add another win, showed the mentality shaped through each one.

“We're just trying to have that killer mentality right now,” said Smart, who had eight of the Lakers' 11 overtime points. “We got them on the ropes and then it's our job to try to finish.”

The Rockets were desperate to avoid the dreaded 0-3 hole. They stormed back from a 15-point first-half deficit and took a one-point lead with 4:59 remaining on a three-pointer from Sheppard. The Houston crowd, which did not fill up until well into the first quarter, erupted.

James turned the ball over for the fourth time in the fourth quarter when Alperen Sengun tipped a bounce pass away from Kennard. Sengun appeared to punctuate the season-saving win with a one-handed dunk over James with 40.6 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

In the moment, Lakers forward Rui Hachimura admitted later, the Lakers felt a slight dip in their energy. They needed something to turn the tide.

Smart intercepted a lazy pass by Houston forward Jabari Smith Jr., and Jae’Sean Tate fouled the Lakers guard on a three-point attempt with 25.4 seconds left. He made all three free throws. The crowd grew restless. When James hit the game-tying three, those wearing the Rockets’ red T-shirts stood in stunned silence.

A vocal minority of Lakers fans were buzzing.

“Next play. Next play,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said of the Lakers' mindset during the critical stages of the game. “I mean, look, there's a lot of things that happened tonight that were not perfect. ... But you just kind of get onto the next play. And that, to me, is a hallmark of poise; that's a hallmark of composure.”

While the Lakers had the league’s best record in clutch time games during the regular season (22-8), the Rockets ranked 16th. With a 22-23 record in games within five points in the final five minutes, the Rockets had the fifth-most clutch-time losses. Only Indiana, Memphis, Brooklyn, Dallas and New Orleans had more such losses.

Houston coach Ime Udoka called the foul on Smart “terrible.” Instead of passing to a wide-open Sengun, Sheppard tried to split a double-team on the decisive turnover. Sengun’s attempt at a game-winner when he got stood up by Jaxon Hayes on a turnaround baseline floater wasn’t the play the Rockets drew up, Udoka said.

Read more:Rare Kobe Bryant trading card 'at the top of every wish list' sells for record sum

“Horrendous mistakes,” the third-year Rockets coach said. “I don’t want to say youth or scared of the moment or whatever the case.”

The Rockets, who lost in seven games in the first round of the playoffs last year, were without star Kevin Durant for the second time this series. He missed the game with a sprained left ankle, an injury he sustained in the fourth quarter of Game 2. He was sidelined for Game 1 because of a knee contusion he picked up in practice. The 37-year-old was remarkably durable this season, ranking second in the NBA in minutes played. His presence was a lifeline for a team that lost point guard Fred VanVleet to a torn anterior cruciate ligament last September.

Durant was ruled out about 90 minutes before tip off. When told of the injury update during his pregame news conference, Redick was not fazed. The Lakers know who they have on their side.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Celtics led for most of the night, but it never quite felt secure. The energy was definitely leaning more toward Philadelphia. Their fans were engaged, and the Sixers continued to feed them with explosive shotmaking and momentum swinging moments.

Boston’s lead never grew to more than 10, and the Sixers chopped it down each time with a flurry of quick buckets. It consistently felt like they were a few possessions from losing their grip, and then the Sixers broke through with an 85-84 lead with 8:42 to go.

A moment like that can turn a crack in the dam into floodgates. It wouldn’t have been surprising if mistakes started compounding, and the atmosphere of a high intensity road game was too much to overcome. The entire crowd was on their feet and erupted as Maxey delivered for the lead, his face breaking into the unmistakable look of a player that might’ve just seized control.

Immediately after that, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown took the game back.

In the fourth quarter, the Jays scored or assisted on 27 of the Celtics 29 points.

After Tyrese Maxey’s go ahead three, Tatum carved through the defense and grabbed the lead right back.

Then it was Brown who intercepted Maxey’s pass to Paul George, stayed patient, and set up White for the layup.

On back-to-back possessions, they quieted the crowd and snatched the lead back. This was only the start of some absurdly clutch play from Boston’s star duo.

Brown spent the next three minutes stringing together buckets and parrying each of the Sixers attacks.

He went on a personal 9-point run. A driving bank shot (90-85), two free throws after drawing a foul on Edgecombe (92-85), a 17-foot pull-up jumper that answered an Oubre bucket (94-90), and a driving finger roll past Maxey (96-92). Every time Philly clawed within two, Brown answered.

Brown — the energy-shifter — kept the emotional advantage alive, allowing Tatum to swoop in for the kill.

Drummond’s dunk made it 97-96 with 2:19 left. In a one-point game, the ball swung to Tatum. His fake sent Maxey flying by. He took a quick dribble, gathered himself and sank a crucial three to open up a four point lead.

Paul George answered quickly, Pritchard sank a clutch late clock three, and then a pair of free throws from Oubre made it a 103-100 game with a minute left. Tatum had a center switched on him, and told Vucevic to clear out so he could attack the mismatch. With 27 seconds to go, Tatum pulled up over Adem Bona and sunk the dagger in.

On the road in a pivotal Game 3, it was Boston’s stars that rose to the occasion. Years of playoff reps have sharpened their composure, and it showed when the game tightened.

No matter what came before, it felt like they treated the final minutes as a fresh start. Two players who have seen every version of this moment were calm and methodical in dictating how it would end. Every push back from Maxey and George was met with an answer, and they couldn’t keep pace.

This is what Boston can tap into at a level that few teams can match. They have a one-two scoring punch that can create at all three levels, off the dribble, in the most stressful moments. They’re comfortable in the chaos of a crunch time battle.

Not bad for a duo that critics and pundits alike spent years insisting couldn’t work.

For Sixers, the ‘little stuff' stings from Game 3 defeat to Celtics  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Celtics’ deep jumpers and many moments of individual brilliance all stung Friday night for the Sixers.

At the end of the evening, they were also left regretting the less glamorous plays that fueled Boston’s 108-100 win in Game 3 at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The Sixers will try to even their first-round playoff series at 2-2 on Sunday night. 

“It’s like offensive rebound, three-ball,” Tyrese Maxey said after scoring 31 points. “Turnover, three-ball or layup. Missed box-out, layup. But when you play good teams, that’s what it is. You’ve got to be extremely sharp in the playoffs, man. You’re seeing it.”

As Maxey noted, just about every area of the game seems very meaningful in the playoffs. For instance, the Celtics were a bit better than the Sixers on the boards in Game 3. Derrick White crashed from the corner and grabbed a critical offensive rebound between Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. with about 35 seconds left. Maxey had shifted toward the middle of the floor on Jayson Tatum’s drive against Sixers center Adem Bona, leaving White unmarked.

Boston finished with a 22-17 advantage in second-chance points against a Sixers team still without Joel Embiid (appendectomy recovery).

“I think it’s checking our man,” Andre Drummond said. “The bigs aren’t really getting many rebounds. It’s the guards coming in from the corners, getting those loose ones. So I think we’ve just got to check our man, block them out and then the rest will take care of itself.”

Unlucky sequences and debatable whistles also tend to be magnified in the postseason. The Sixers need to focus on what’s in their power, but that’s certainly not everything. 

“Some of them are bad bounces,” Paul George said. “We’re boxing out, we’re going in to try to help rebound, and the ball flies over our head right back to them. Some of those situations have been tough. But knowing that, we’ve got to be better there. We feel like we’re playing great half-court defense. We’ve just got to limit them to one shot.”

The Sixers’ half-court defense has indeed been a bright spot the past two games. 

According to Cleaning the Glass, the Celtics scored 101.5 points per 100 half-court plays during the regular season. Boston posted only 89.5 points per 100 half-court plays over Games 2 and 3.

“It’s a competitive series, first of all,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said. “I thought we played extremely, extremely hard. I thought we made a few mistakes that you probably just can’t make in these games. … I like the way we competed. We’re going to have to rebound better, we’re going to have to shot contest better, we’re going to have to shot make better if we’re going to win.”

In terms of bench scoring, the Sixers were second best by a sizable margin. The Celtics had a 34-13 edge in that category. Payton Pritchard, Nikola Vucevic, Baylor Scheierman and Luka Garza all made three-pointers off of Boston’s bench. 

Meanwhile, the Sixers used an eight-man rotation. Quentin Grimes attempted one field goal and missed it. Justin Edwards’ only shot attempt was rejected by Jaylen Brown. 

The Sixers ranked 27th during the regular season in bench points per game and were inferior there Friday. The Celtics have looked like the deeper team thus far in the series. 

“Q had one kind of opportunity,” Nurse said. “We ran a little thing and he squirted it out for a wing three. Didn’t have many other ones. Justin usually gets more kind of random opportunities. … He had one that got blocked. Usually, he’s got a few more. With some of (the Celtics’) over-help and collapsing, there’s probably some kick-out opportunities for those guys.”

The Sixers will review the film and see a lot more to like than from their blowout Game 1 loss. 

They’ll notice plenty of decisive factors beyond stars and shotmaking, too. 

“It’s little stuff … you just can’t have it,” Maxey said. “That’s a hell of a basketball team over there. We are too, but there’s certain mistakes we just can’t make. …. The attention to detail is really, really small. 

“I learned early on in my playoff career that the playoffs are broken down into single-possession games. Every single possession matters. You don’t want (any) possessions to come back to bite you.”