Celtics Beat 76ers 108-100 in Game 3, Lead 2-1

The Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 108-100 on Friday night in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series, taking a 2-1 lead with strong performances from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The victory came at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, where the teams will reconvene for Game 4 on Sunday.

Tatum scored 25 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, on efficient 5-of-9 shooting from three-point range. Returning from Achilles tendon surgery last May, he played in just his 19th game of the season and delivered crucial shots down the stretch, such as a three-pointer that extended the lead to 100-96 and a final dagger from long range with 26.6 seconds left to make it 106-100. Brown matched Tatum's output with 25 points, highlighted by eight straight in the fourth quarter that built a 96-92 advantage. Payton Pritchard added 15 points, going 5-of-9 from beyond the arc, including a step-back three that pushed the lead to 103-98 with 1:17 remaining.

The 76ers, playing without center Joel Embiid for the third straight game as he recovers from an appendectomy on April 9, relied heavily on guard Tyrese Maxey, who led all scorers with 31 points on...