Scoreboard
Celtics 114, Nets 107 (BOS leads series, 2-0)
76ers 104, Raptors 101 OT (PHI leads series, 3-0)
Bulls 114, Bucks 110 (Series tied 1-1)
What went down
It was an exhilarating day of playoff basketball with Joel Embiid emerging as the hero for Philadelphia. The MVP finalist drilled a go-ahead triple with 0.8 seconds left in overtime to give the Sixers the Game 3 victory and a 3-0 series lead over the Toronto Raptors.
The Sixers did not lead at all in regulation and even played without James Harden in the extra session. In the end, all Philly needed was a clutch Embiid.
It was redemption for Embiid after he missed a 3-pointer towards the end of the fourth quarter. He made sure that the game would not go to a second overtime as he hit the game-winner off the inbounds.
JOEL EMBIID ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!! pic.twitter.com/4Uh2sv0d2E
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 21, 2022
The Chicago Bulls, meanwhile, knotted their series against the Milwaukee Bucks, thanks to a herculean performance from DeMar DeRozan who dropped a playoff career-high of 41 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo provided gaudy numbers of 33 points, 18 rebounds, nine assists, and two blocks in a losing effort for the Bucks.
Things turned from bad to worse for Milwaukee after coach Mike Budenholzer revealed post-game that Khris Middelton suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee.
In Boston, the Celtics clamped down on defense and rallied in the second half to beat the Brooklyn Nets. The Celtics trailed by as many as 17 points but showed why they were the team that had the best defensive rating in the regular season by shutting down the Nets in the last two quarters.
Jaylen Brown led seven Boston players in double-figures with 22 points. For Brooklyn, Kevin Durant had 27 points while Kyrie Irving added 10 points. However, the Nets star duo combined for 1-for-17 in the second half.
Big-time ballers
Embiid’s game-winner was the icing on the cake on another monster performance. He finished with 33 points on 12-for-20 shooting and 13 rebounds.
Not to be outdone, DeRozan had himself a game. He erupted for 41 points on a crisp 16-for-31 shooting clip to go with seven boards and four dimes. Astonishingly, he did all of his damage from the 2-point area and the free-throw line (9-for-9), as he only attempted two 3s.
What he said
"That's the best one, but the job is not done."@JoelEmbiid talks to @NabilKarimTV after hitting one of the biggest shots of his career in Game 3. #Gametime pic.twitter.com/lpFpHq0kMn
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 21, 2022
Thursday’s game-winner was truly special for Embiid. Per ESPN Stats and Info, it was his first career (regular season or playoffs) game-tying or go-ahead field goal in the game’s final second. He was 0-for-14 heading into Game 3 but finally hit one to give the Sixers the 3-0 series advantage.
Did you see that?
Giannis continues to climb the Bucks’ record books. Despite the loss, he scored 33 points on his way to becoming the franchise's all-time playoff scoring leader.
Giannis has passed @kaj33 to become the Bucks' All-Time Playoff Scoring Leader.
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 21, 2022
🍾 @MoetUSA pic.twitter.com/85eVXG4TNB
