BOSTON - As fans started leaving TD Garden midway through the fourth quarter of a stunning Boston Celtics loss to the Philadelphia 76ers Tuesday night, the words they were murmuring in the aisles and the concourses: "last year."
As in the 2022 NBA playoffs, in this same second round against a potent Milwaukee Bucks team, the Celtics dropped a very disappointing Game 5 at home in a 2-2 series and were facing a daunting task of going on the road to avoid elimination in Game 6.
Then Jayson Tatum had one of the best games of his life, scoring 46 points with unstoppable force to lead the Celtics to a punch back win that changed the course of the series.