The Philadelphia 76ers equalized in the NBA playoffs in their semifinal series against favourites, the Boston Celtics. Denver lost the fourth game to Phoenix despite a 53-point gala from Nikola Jokic.
James Harden was the outstanding player in the 118:116 victory of the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday evening (May 7th, 2023, local time) against the Boston Celtics. Harden scored 42 points and scored the decisive basket in overtime with his last three. On the other hand, Marcus Smart’s goal came a fraction of a second too late and his basket didn’t count.
76ers equalize against Celtics
The team around Harden and MVP Joel Embiid and James Harden had previously lost a 16-point lead in the final quarter, but ultimately managed to win in the fourth game and equalize in the semifinals series in the NBA playoffs. Embiid had 34 points, while Jayson Tatum was the most successful with the Celtics with 24 points.
“I invest a lot, it’s just about being aggressive,” said 76ers matchwinner Harden. “It gives us enormous self-confidence.”
Suns continue without Chris Paul – equalizer against Nuggets
In the semifinals series in the West, the Phoenix Suns equalized against the Denver Nuggets. At 129:124, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker each scored 36 points for the hosts and let the performance of Nuggets professional Jokic and his 53 points come to nothing.
The series is tied 2-2 after four games, and a team needs four wins to reach the Western Conference finals. The next duel is in Denver on Wednesday night in Germany.
“We have to keep attacking, keep being aggressive,” said Booker, who was told an outstanding hit rate of almost 78 percent. The Suns again had to do without the ailing Chris Paul.
Excitement about Jokic – Suns team owner Ishbia gets elbow
A scene just before the break caused excitement when Jokic took on Suns owner Mat Ishbia and conceded a technical foul. Suns pro Josh Okogie tried to save a ball from being knocked out and fell into a group of spectators. Jokic then wanted to quickly retrieve the basketball, there was a brief scuffle in which Ishbia was hit by Jokic’s elbow. Another man who had bumped Jokic in the shoulder had to leave his seat.
“The fan touched me first,” said Jokic afterwards about his encounter with the Suns owner: “I thought the league wanted to protect us. Maybe I’m wrong. I know who he is – but at the end of the day is he a fan or not?”