In this exciting time of the year, fans all across the country watch the NBA Playoffs. In Boston, viewers are especially eager to see the Celtics go far after a big loss in the NBA Finals last year against the Warriors. On Sunday, May 14th the Boston Celtics faced the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. At such a high level, it is always a good sign when two teams can make it to Game 7 in the playoffs. As in many other sports, a team advances by being the first team to win 4 games. 

While the 76ers took the first game of the series, the Celtics bounced back and won the next two. In Game 4, Philadelphia took a narrow victory winning 116-115 to tie Boston 2-2. The 76ers then took another win and led the series 3-2. Boston won in Game 6 to bring the series to the final game. In the afternoon on Sunday, May 14th the two teams took the court at TD Garden, located in Boston, both hoping to advance and face the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Junior Bridget Patten explains that she was working at a restaurant during the game. She says that “You could really feel the excitement in the restaurant. Everyone was engaged throughout the entirety of the game.”

The 76er’s starting lineup remained relatively the same throughout the series. Game 7 started with James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, P.J. Tucker, and Tobia Harris. Although the 76er’s lineup is strong especially with Joel Embiid, this year’s MVP, the team struggled against Boston. Emiid finished with only 15 points and Harden scored just 9. 

On the other side, things went very smoothly for the Boston Celtics. After a tough overall series for Jason Tatum, he brought his A-game on Sunday at TD Garden. The first half was more competitive, but once the 3rd quarter came around, the Celtics exploded. The combination of Marcus Smart and Al Horford’s strong defense and Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum’s electric offense brought something truly remarkable to the game. The depth of the Celtics entire team, both starting and not, proved just what they can do when it really comes down to it. Jason Tatum, after a rough patch in Game 6, set an NBA Record for most points in Game 7, scoring 51 points. 

Freshman Katie Whitlock watched Game 7 and was very pleased with the outcome. She says that “Although the Celtics won in Game 6, I thought the energy was low and the quality of play was worse. They really pulled it together in Game 7 and I couldn’t be happy with the outcome!”. 

The crowd at TD Garden was roaring as the Celtics devoured the 3rd and 4th quarter. The energy on and off the court was powerful and exciting as players dunked and hit threes. The Boston Celtics managed to lead by 30 during the 4th and ended up taking the victory 112-88.