James Harden executed a three-pointer with 19 seconds left in overtime to lead the "Philadelphia 76ers" to a hard-fought victory over the visiting "Boston Celtics" 116-115, bringing the teams to a 2-2 tie before the Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA last night. In the fourth game of the best-of-seven series, Harden scored 42 points, dished out nine assists, and grabbed eight rebounds for the third-seeded Sixers in the East, compensating for his modest performance in the previous two games, while his teammate Joel Embiid added 34 points.
Boston star Jayson Tatum recovered from missing his first eight shots to finish the game with 24 points, 18 rebounds, and six assists. Jaylen Brown contributed 23 points, Marcus Smart added 21 points and seven assists, while Malcolm Brogdon scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds after coming off the bench for the second-seeded Celtics in the East.
Embiid hit two free throws to give Philadelphia a 113-112 lead with 56 seconds left in overtime, but Tatum responded with a three-pointer. Harden sealed the deal with a three-pointer 19 seconds later, while Smart's three-pointer went through the net after the buzzer. The Sixers led by as many as 16 points in the third quarter, with the score at 96-88 before 7 minutes and 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
