James Harden leads 76ers to overtime Game 4 win to even series despite Celtics comeback.
The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Boston Celtics 116-115 on Sunday to even their best-of-seven playoff series at 2-2.
James Harden scored 42 points and enabled the Philadelphia 76ers in fending off a ferocious rally by the Celtics.
James Harden delivers for 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers needed a victory on Sunday because they were behind 2-1 in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series to the Boston Celtics who stole home court back in Game 3.
The cry was answered by James Harden, who erupted for a monster performance and the decisive 3-pointer.
The conclusion of the thrilling game was decided in overtime after the Celtics overcame a 16-point second-quarter deficit to take the lead.
With help from Joel Embiid, Harden, who was still in the game, scored a crucial corner-shot goal to secure the victory.
Although the occasion was significant, Harden's remarkable performance showed that he was further motivated.
The Celtics will now return home for Game 5 on Tuesday as Smart's potential game-winning shot came just a fraction too late.
Although Tatum had trouble scoring in the beginning, he ended up with 24 points, 18 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks while Jaylen Brown scored 23 for Boston.
For the second-seeded Celtics, Smart scored 21 points and seven assists, while Malcolm Brogdon added 19 points and eight rebounds off the bench.
The third-seeded 76ers ended a two-game losing streak thanks to newly crowned MVP Joel Embiid, who finished with 34 points and 13 rebounds. with Game 5 set for Tuesday in Boston.
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