For the Philadelphia 76ers to beat the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals, winning at least one road game was a must. When news broke that Joel Embiid would miss Game 1, it felt unlikely that Philadelphia would come away with a win.
But that’s exactly what happened.
With the Celtics nursing a one-point lead, Boston’s Malcolm Brogdon drove to his left and kicked the ball out to the three-point line. With the shot clock running out, the pass was ill-advised. As it turned out, the Celtics would have loved to have a shot clock violation there. Brogdon’s pass went right to Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey.
Maxey then dribbled the ball down the court and made an uncontested layup, putting the 76ers up by one.
"Philadelphia's got the lead. Maxey stole the ball." A fitting call for a playoff game between these two. pic.twitter.com/SlyW5mLYGK
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 2, 2023
During the 1982 National Championship Game between North Carolina and Georgetown, UNC freshman Michael Jordan made a shot to put the Tar Heels up. The Hoyas, though, still had time to respond. Guard Fred Brown dribbled the ball up the floor and when one of his passing lanes got taken away, he passed the ball to his right. The only person standing there was North Carolina’s James Worthy, who ran most of the clock out to essentially ice the game.
Naturally, this play inspired a lot of comparisons.
Holy Fred Brown
— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) May 2, 2023
Homeboy just pulled a Fred Brown
— Robert Littal BSO (@BSO) May 2, 2023
A Fred Brown moment in Boston.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) May 2, 2023
That was Fred Brown to James Worthy….
— MarkJonesESPN (@MarkJonesESPN) May 2, 2023
Brogdon just went full Fred Brown right there.
Real ones know. #Sixers #Celtics
— Sia Nejad (@SiaNejad) May 2, 2023
Right now Fred Brown is going “Why is my phone blowing up?”
— Jason Smith (@howaboutafresca) May 2, 2023
This play slightly differed from that one in that the Celtics had time to respond. They briefly did just that, with Jayson Tatum sinking a pair of free throws to give Boston a one-point lead.
But James Harden responded with a three-pointer, his final three points of a brilliant 45-point game, to put the Sixers back up. Philadelphia’s Paul Reed then came away with a steal of his own and made a pair of free throws to salt the game away, giving the 76ers a Game 1 upset.
"THE SIXERS HAVE CAPTURED GAME 1 WITHOUT EMBIID. HARDEN SPECTACULAR. 45 POINTS."
"They're still in mourning here. The Bruins lost last night. The Celtics in Game 1. STUNNED." pic.twitter.com/KoL4RDX2F7
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 2, 2023
