Prior to Game 3, the Boston Celtics had to watch Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid receive his MVP trophy in front of a deafening crowd. The ceremony got the Philly faithful fired up and ready for the contest, yet Celtics star Jayson Tatum also used the festivities as motivation.

Tatum led the C's to a 114-102 win and finished with an impressive 27 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. He even told the media that the MVP celebration for Embiid fueled him in the victory:

“It got me really ready to play,” Tatum said, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “You could feel the energy from the crowd in the building. I’m happy for [Embiid]. He earned it, he deserved it. But I was just focused on trying to win tonight.”

Ahead of the game, Jayson Tatum expressed how much he would've liked to win MVP this season, and that he hopes he can bring the trophy home one day. He looked deserving of some hardware late in the fourth quarter, as he outscored the entire Sixers squad in the final three minutes:

He even hit this beautiful triple over Philly forward Tobias Harris to put the game on ice:

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Jayson Tatum simply played like an MVP down the stretch. He posted 10 points in the fourth quarter while Embiid had just four. Fellow Celtics star Jaylen Brown was also pivotal in the victory, as he dropped 23 points and had an answer for every Sixers' run:

If the C's want to take Game 4, they'll need another solid outing from both of Boston's stars Sunday afternoon. The Green Team will also have to prepare for Philly's best shot, as the Sixers will be playing hard to keep their backs off the wall.