The semifinals of Celtic and 76ers Tianwang Mountain was a typical game of feel back and feel pullback. In the first four games, the Celtics have been the better hands, but the most critical Tianwang Mountain, their hands are collectively inaccurate.
At halftime, the Celtics shot 36.8 percent from the field and 26.3 percent from three-point range. After the game, the Celtics' shooting percentage still did not recover, shooting 31.6% from three-point range.
Before today's game, the Celtics ranked first among all playoff teams with 39.5% three-point shooting, and second only to the Warriors in three-point shooting. But their worst game since the playoffs happened to Tianwang Mountain, which shouldn't have happened.
The 76ers are clearly the better team, not just their shooting better. Looking at the whole game, they are the best team in terms of willpower, game intensity and tactical execution.
Embiid blocked 33 points and 4 blocks and continued to pull full at both ends of the offensive and defensive ends; Maxi also made 6 three-pointers to score 30 points, the best in the series; Harris is efficient, Harden is in a steady tandem, and the 76ers finally show a hint of championship when they get here.
It was the 76ers' best game since the playoffs, and it was also the Celtics' worst game. The Celtics have no way back after losing this game, and they also lost to the Bucks in the playoffs last year, but in the end they eliminated the Bucks by seven.
Whether the goddess of fate will continue to be on the Celtics' side is unknown, but in the playoffs, teams favored by fate often don't get far. Tatum needs to take his fate into his own hands and forget about today's performance in the first quarter.
It was a typical Tatum game, and Tatum shot 11-of-27, 3-of-11 from three-point range, and 11-of-13 from the free throw line for 36 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Good numbers and low efficiency have been Tatum's mark this season.
Tatum averaged more than 30 points per game in the regular season, but shot less than 35 percent from three-point range. The Celtics have a good record, but Tatum has never really been an MVP candidate. Through this Heavenly King Mountain, you can probably understand why.
In the first quarter, Tatum shot 0-of-5, conceived all three three-point shots, scored no athletic goals, and scored two points on free throws. In the semifinals, Tatum had already conceded 14 consecutive shots in the first quarter, tying his personal record for the longest playoff career, which means that Tatum has missed so many goals in a row more than once.
The first quarter set the tone for the game, and the 76ers led all the way to the end without slowing the Celtics. In the rest of the game, it becomes Tatum's plot of chasing points all the way.
Tatum scored 13 points on 3-of-6 shooting and 6-of-7 free throws in the second quarter, and he began to shoot away from the outside and resolutely rushed to the basket to make a kill. Tatum has a very bad habit of not being able to throw when he can't throw outside, he starts to remember his physical advantages and starts to punch inside.
In fact, the Celtics team is the same, relying on the feel of the outside (of course, they have good hands most of the time), and when they can't shoot, they start to think of attacking the inside, it's too late.
Tatum scored another 16 points in the third quarter and made 2-of-4 three-pointers from the outside. Tatum scored 31 points in the third quarter, but his plus-minus on the court was -21. At the end of the game, Tatum had a plus-minus of -26 and lost 26 points to the 76ers in time on the court.
If you only watch the last three quarters, Tatum is very tough, constantly rushing to the basket, and never giving up when the team is behind. But if you add the disastrous play of the first quarter, Tatum is too soft to be true. In many cases, Tatum is one such paradox.
Tatum, the star, may be one of the most neurotic stars in the league right now. When the hand feels good, forty or fifty hands come to the catch, three points are scored, and his dry pull is really unsolvable.
And once Tatum's hand slips, his game scenes become extremely ugly, and there are endless iron mistakes. He played sometimes very shaft, just like today, if he can't shoot, he has to keep throwing, and the result is to continue iron.
It is often said that Tatum is a Mamba descendant, and Tatum has learned Kobe's strong shooting, but has not yet learned Kobe's big picture. At the end of the day, as I said in last year's Finals, Tatum lacks enough ball handling, is not good at handling bags, and relies heavily on feel.
Therefore, Tatum will often play some "soft and hard" games, slumping when it is soft, and chopping melons and vegetables when it is hard. Tatum is averaging a career-high number of points per game this season, but not as well as his 26 points per game, and his popularity among fans is getting worse.
Tatum is certainly the big boss of the Celtics, but the series G2 Tatum is 1-of-7 and the Celtics win the game will definitely make fans question his quality. Teammates have taken Tatum forward too many games this season, and G2 is just one of them.
Tatum is only 25 years old this year, and it stands to reason that his career is still going up. But Tatum seems to have been stuck in a bottleneck since last year, and the shadow of last year's Finals defeat still seems to hang over him.
But the semifinals are not over yet, and Tatum also faced a life-and-death situation of trailing 3-2 last year, and G6 Tatum scored 46 points to play a career-defining playoff game.
The same script is in front of Tatum again this year, can he break through this barrier in front of him?