The Boston Celtics are headed for another Eastern Conference finals series, while another Philadelphia 76ers season ends in disappointment.
Jayson Tatum provided most of the headlines from Boston's dominant 112-88 win on Sunday, thanks to an historic elimination game performance. Tatum broke Stephen Curry's record for points in a Game 7 with 51 -- and it came against one of his favorite victims, the division rival Sixers
But things could have been so much different for both sides if they had agreed to draft in their respective positions six years ago.
What might have been in Philadelphia
The Celtics won the NBA draft lottery in 2017, despite having the best record in the Eastern Conference.
How did that happen? Because Boston received this pick thanks to a 2013 trade with the Brooklyn Nets, who finished 2016/17 with the worst record in the East.
Because they had point guard Isaiah Thomas at the time, Boston became interested in trading down from the #1 pick when it became clear that point guard Markelle Fultz was drawing interest at the top of the draft. The Celtics worked out a trade with Philadelphia for the third overall pick (owned by the Sixers).
This is where Boston general manager Danny Ainge snagged Tatum, who had starred at Duke University, while Washington star Fultz went to Philly. Fultz was traded to the Orlando Magic after two injury-plagued seasons.
Tatum eliminates Philadelphia -- again
Sunday's win meant that for the third time in his six years as a Boston Celtic, Tatum's team has knocked Philadelphia out of the playoffs.
Tatum helped Boston to a second-round series victory over the 76ers as a rookie in 2018, and the Celtics also swept Philly in the opening round of the 2020 "bubble" postseason.
The Sixers' perennial search for a winning partner for NBA MVP Joel Embiid has seen them cycle through Fultz, Ben Simmons, and James Harden, but Philadelphia remains without a championship since 1983. One wonders if selecting Tatum in the 2017 draft would have ended their conference finals drought, let alone the barren run without a championship.
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