SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
Nothing changed, the Boston Celtics wrapped up their second straight Eastern Conference NBA championship, Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers remains a big-game loser and James Harden has yet to hoist a title trophy.
First, the final score of the rip-am-up shellacking in Game 7 Sunday was 112-88, and that was because the 2nd-seeded Celts’ Jason Tatum had a masterful performance of a Game 7 record 51 points. When he left the floor with 4:21 remaining, the standing ovation was continuous.
As for the 6-foot-5 Harden, who was dealt from the Brooklyn Nets to Philly after drifting from team to team with high hopes that have yet to appear, he had his chance in 40.49 minutes, and the best he could do was score nine points.
This came on 3-for-11 from the floor, converting 2-of-2 free throws, toking down six rebounds, handed out a team-high seven assists, and committing one personal foul
Even league Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid had a moidore night in Bean Town. He dropped in 15 points on 5-for-18 shooting, 5-for-6 from the line, grabbed a team-high eight boards, and had but one assist.
And Rivers, spending his usual time protesting calls against his 3rd-seeded Philly squad, is now 3-for-8 in finals.
“Oh yeah,” he said, “Tatum had a real special game and we didn’t show up.”
And Tatum had words of his own after a second stellar effort.
“It’s all up here,” said the 6-7 fan favorite standout.
Now comes the challenge of 8th-seeded Miami Heat in the championship game, the second seed versus the last seed, but the Heat will come ready to play after downing the No. 1-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in five games and then the No. 5 New York Knicks in six.
As for this dismal defeat, will Rivers still be the main in charge in the City of Brotherly Love, will Harden stay there?
Meanwhile, in the West, it’s the top seeded Denver Nuggets against the incredibly surviving 7th-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in Game one in Denver Tuesday night.
That’s a pair of upset-minded talented, well-coached clubs taking on a pair of higher seeds with different resumes, for Boston has won many times and Denver has yet to do so.
Interesting to see how the ball bounces.
