Celtics top 76ers 108-100, take 2-1 series lead in Game 3

Boston imposed itself when the game tightened, and that late stretch changed the series. The Celtics beat the 76ers 108-100 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Friday, taking a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference first-round matchup and forcing Philadelphia into a must-answer Game 4 on Sunday night.

The score stayed in range for long stretches, but Boston controlled the final minutes with the same ingredients that have defined its best playoff turns: shot-making, composure and a clear edge when possessions became precious. Jaylen Brown scored eight straight points late in the fourth quarter, Jayson Tatum followed with a 3-pointer that pushed Boston to a 106-100 lead, and the Celtics finished with 19 of their 29 points in the fourth quarter. That closing run was the pivot point of the game. Philadelphia had chances to keep pace, but Boston produced the cleaner execution when the pressure rose.

Tatum continued his return from injury with 25 points, going 5-for-9 from 3-point range in just his 19th game of the season after Achilles surgery in May 2025. Brown matched him with 25 points, and Payton Pritchard added 15 as Boston got enough scoring spread to survive Philadelphia’s runs. The Celtics entered as the No. 2 seed and had already shown the shape of this series with a 123-91 win in Game 1 before the 76ers answered with a 111-97 victory in Game 2 to level it.

Philadelphia still had resistance. Tyrese Maxey led all scorers with 31 points, and Paul George added 18, but the 76ers could not turn that into the kind of finish that changes a playoff series. Joel Embiid missed Game 3 while continuing to recover after an appendectomy on April 9, and without him, Philadelphia’s margin for error narrowed even further. Maxey made clear the 76ers believed they were in position to win, but Game 4 now carries the weight Boston created by finishing stronger.

Brown said Boston wanted to respond after dropping Game 2 at home, and that response arrived in the exact stretch that mattered most. The 76ers have a real counter only if they can extend their own composure, get more from the supporting cast around Maxey and George, and close the gap late. Until then, Boston has the upper hand, and the burden of proof has shifted squarely to Philadelphia.