Philadelphia 76ers finally managed to win a game against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. The 76ers entered Game 4 down 3-0 and facing the possibility of getting swept but came through closing out the game 103-92. Celtics will now look to finish the job in Game 5 in Boston on Thursday.
The unlikely hero of the 76ers win was backup point guard T. J. McConnell who finished the game with career-high 19 points alongside 7 rebounds and 5 assists. In the previous three games of the series against the Celtics, McConnell averaged four points per game. The 76ers fans recognized McConnell’s efforts and started chanting “T.J.” each time the point the 26-year-old point guard got the ball.
“It was a pretty special moment,” – McConnell commented the chants. “I think we have the best fans in the NBA. They’ve been here through the dark times and they’ve certainly been here on our rise.“
Dario Saric and Ben Simmons contributed with 25 and 19 points respectively while Joel Embiid added 15 points.
Embiid also managed to get in a scuffle with Celtics’ Terry Rozier late in the first half. Both players were handed a technical foul after that.
“He tried to punch me twice. Too bad he’s so short he couldn’t get to my face,” – said Embiid after the game.
Despite the win, Philadelphia 76ers is now going up against the history in order to advance to Eastern Conference finals since no team has managed to win the series after facing a 3-0 deficit in previous 129 times. But the 76ers already surpassed everyone’s expectations, so making history would seem fitting for this team.
