The Boston Celtics did it. Jaylen Brown and company got the job done in the second round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, as they won Game 7 of their series against Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers to book a return trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. Brown certainly played a big part in the success of the Celtics versus the Sixers, but he also credited the crowd at TD Garden on Sunday for giving his team a major lift — one that he expects to see in the next series against the Miami Heat.
“I called the Garden out last game and what a way to respond,” Jaylen Brown said following the Celtics' 112-88 win in Game 7 against the Sixers (h/t Bobby Manning of Celtics on CLNS). “We’re gonna definitely need some more of that going forward.”
Jaylen Brown scored 25 points in the series-clinching win over the Sixers while also adding six rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks in 41 minutes. But the biggest story for the Celtics was the explosive performance of Jayston Tatum, who came away with 51 points on an exceptional 17-for-28 shooting from the floor to go with 13 rebounds, five assists, and two steals in 42 minutes.
The Celtics will have homecourt advantage again in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Heat, whom Boston defeated in seven games in the same round last season to score a spot in the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Finals between the Celtics and the Heat will be held at TD Garden on Wednesday.