Celtics vs. 76ers: Game 6 Highlights, Twitter Reaction and Analysis
Staring at elimination, the Philadelphia 76ers defended their home court and will live to fight another day. They evened their second-round playoff series with the Boston Celtics at three games apiece.
This game was not pretty. Both teams struggled mightily with their shots, but Philly will take it, as they won 82-75.
It was close for much of the game, but the 76ers finally managed to pull away late, as the Celtics couldn't find anyone to score other than Kevin Garnett.
Jrue Holiday had another solid game for the 76ers, and he teamed up with Lou Williams to help Philadelphia win the battle of the backcourts.
These two teams must now try to find their shooting strokes as they head to Boston for Game 7.
Tweets of the Night
Eric Hewitt must be a 76ers fan, because only a fan of the winning team would think anything about this game was entertaining:
"This 76ers team is pure entertainment.
— Eric Hewitt (@GH057ayame) May 23, 2012"
ESPN's J.A. Adande had a great idea for this low-scoring brick fest:
"How bout we make the fourth quarter of this Celtics-Sixers game sudden death?
— J.A. Adande (@jadande) May 23, 2012"
Pro Basketball Talk's Kurt Helin paints a grim picture for what awaits in Game 7:
"Usually players are tight and Game 7s are not pretty, but if we get there in Sixers/Celtics could it be worse than this?
— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) May 23, 2012"
Must-See Highlight of the Night
The original A.I. (Allen Iverson) brought the house down prior to the game, and the current A.I. (Andre Iguodala) brought it down during the game. This spectacular dunk went a long way toward swinging the momentum to the 76ers.
Grades for Key Celtics Players
Rajon Rondo: B-
Like almost every player, Rondo struggled from the field. He was terribly inefficient, going just 4-of-14 from the field with nine points.
He also had, what is for him, a completely anemic assist total with just six dimes.
Paul Pierce: B
Paul Pierce was solid. While he struggled with his shot from the field, he was money from the line, and he got there a lot. He finished 13-of-13 from the charity stripe and had 24 points. He also grabbed 10 boards.
Pierce was aggressive on offense the entire game, and he was a big reason Boston stayed in this game.
However, he shrank late in this matchup, and that eliminated any chance Boston had at winning. He did nail a late three, but it was too late.
Grades for Key 76ers Players
Jrue Holiday: A-
Holiday was fantastic. He was aggressive and set the tone for his team. He did a nice job getting into the lane and finished with 20 points and six assists.
He was also 7-of-15 from the field, which, in this game, was outstanding.
Elton Brand: B+
Brand did a nice job down low. He brought a physical presence and was solid on the boards with 10 rebounds.
Brand had 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting.
Deciding Factor: Bench Scoring
The 76ers bench outscored the Celtics bench 16-5.
Most of the 76ers bench scoring was provided by Lou Williams (11 points), but at least they had more than one person score—three to be exact. Boston cannot say the same. They had just one bench player score.
Game MVP: Jrue Holiday
In a game in which scoring was at a premium, Holiday's penetration came up huge. It got him some easy buckets and helped him set up his teammates.
What’s Next?
These two will head back to Boston for an epic Game 7 on Saturday.
