The Philadelphia 76ers played an extremely close Game 4 against the Boston Celtics, ultimately winning in overtime by just one point.
The Celtics could even have won if Marcus Smart had gotten his three-pointer off in time. He didn’t, and the Sixers took the win, but there were some questionable calls against them late in the game. One in particular, a push-off from Jayson Tatum that led to a three-pointer drew an angry reaction from Doc Rivers after the game.
“Jayson Tatum’s three was awful that wasn’t called, awful,” Rivers said. “It was a push-off. And the reason that it bugged me, was at the end of the game, there were these touch fouls. Jayson Tatum has a 360 foul.
“Marcus Smart gets tangled up, touch foul. So, if we’re gonna call it that way, then you have to call that. To me, you gotta call that play. I know it’s a big play, and I’m a big fan of refs not deciding [the game], but that could have decided the game.”
Doc Rivers is angry about Jayson Tatum’s push off 😳 pic.twitter.com/fYLMFhKOhY
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 7, 2023
Doc Rivers has been a high-level coach for a long time now, so for him to use such strong language means the Sixers must feel genuinely aggrieved by the officiating. Getting the win and tying up the series at 2-2 was great, but Rivers feels like the Sixers are not getting a friendly whistle when it matters the most.
Jaylen Brown Has Taken Accountability For The Celtics Losing The Game
Whether they were helped by the referees or not is something for neutral fans to decide, but the Celtics did waste golden opportunities to take a commanding 3-1 lead. James Harden hit big shots at the end of regulation as well as overtime, which allowed the Sixers to overcome some of the officiating. And speaking after the game, Jaylen Brown took responsibility for the Celtics not being able to get the job done.
“Just a bad read,” Brown said. “That’s it. It’s a gamble at the wrong time. Big shot by James Harden, but that’s my fault. I take full accountability.”
There is no way to tell how the series will pan out, so far, the Sixers stars have shone in their wins, while the Celtics have played like the better overall team. One way or another, the remaining games of the series should also be closely-fought contests, and Rivers and Embiid will be hoping to make the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time together.
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