BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 21 points before he was ejected for arguing near the end of the third quarter, Derrick White also had 21 and the Boston Celtics beat the depleted Philadelphia 76ers 125-119 on Friday night.
Without its top two scorers, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers led 116-115 with under three minutes left before giving up the next eight points. Patrick Beverley had 26 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for Philadelphia, which has lost four of six.
De’Anthony Melton was leading the 76ers in scoring with 21 points when he fouled out with 5:08 to play and Boston leading 111-108. Jaylen Brown and Al Horford each scored 20 points for the Celtics, who had a full complement – until Tatum fouled out.
Boston led by six points in the third and had a 95-91 lead in the final seconds of the quarter when Melton hit a long 3-pointer. Tatum was bringing the ball down along the sideline when he lost control; in the ensuing scramble he hit Robert Covington in the face.
Tatum was whistled for a foul. He voiced a lengthy objection and was ejected when, with Celtics coaches trying to hold him back, he interrupted the referees’ huddle. Tatum had already received a technical in the first half.
As he left the court, the crowd took over the complaining, showering the officials with a loud chorus of boos. After a review, Tatum’s foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 1; Covington hit the technical free three to tie it at 95.
UP NEXT
76ers: At Washington on Wednesday night.
Celtics: At Indiana on Monday night in the quarterfinals of the In-Season Tournament.
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