Boston Celtics v Philadelphia 76ers - Game Six
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - James Harden (#1) of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles against the Boston Celtics during the third quarter in game six of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in the 2023 NBA Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center on May 11, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tim Nwachukwu / Staff

On Sunday's Game 7, the Boston Celtics performed exceptionally well against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Sixers, who the Celtics defeated on their home court on Thursday, hoped to turn things around in the deciding game played in Boston. However, the Celtics dominated the game from the start, ending the Sixers' championship aspirations with a final score of 112-88.

Sixers Performed Poorly

The Celtics were so dominant that, at one point, they led the Sixers by a 30-point margin, which is an incredible feat for a Game 7. In contrast, the Sixers performed poorly, and their star players, Joel Embiid and James Harden, only managed to score a combined 24 points in 79 minutes of play.

The Celtics' Jayson Tatum was the star of the game, scoring an impressive 51 points, the highest ever scored in a Game 7. His performance was instrumental in the Celtics' resounding victory over the Sixers.

In contrast, the Sixers' coach, Doc Rivers, suffered his 33rd loss in 50 opportunities to close a playoff series.

Tatum's performance was particularly notable because he became only the sixth player since 1997 to score 25 or more points in the first half of a seventh game.

The last player to achieve this feat was Luka Doncic, who scored 29 points against the Clippers in the 2021 playoffs. Paul Pierce of the Celtics also achieved this feat in 2008, scoring 26 points against Cleveland in the second round.

In the fourth quarter of games 5 to 7, Harden had a poor performance, failing to score a single point in 32 minutes.

Finally, the Sixers' 10-point score was tied for the lowest in any Game 7 quarter in the shot clock era.