Jayson Tatum - Joel Embiid MVP ceremony 'got me really ready to play' - ESPN

PHILADELPHIA — As 76ers superstar Joel Embiid was being presented with his Most Valuable Player award by NBA commissioner Adam Sliver in front of a sold-out Philadelphia crowd chanting «MVP,» Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum watched the ceremony from the locker room ahead of Friday night's Game 3.

It's a normal part of Tatum's routine — he usually leaves the court once the buzzer sounds at the end of warmups, before the national anthem and player introductions. But he could still hear the ceremony taking place on the court as he watched Embiid on a television screen receiving the trophy.

The crowd and the moment served as motivation for Tatum, who responded with a team-high 27 points to help Boston spoil Embiid's night with a 114-102 victory that gave the Celtics a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

«It just got me really ready to play,» Tatum said about watching Embiid collect his MVP trophy. «You could feel the energy from the crowd and the building. I'm happy for (Embiid). He earned it, he deserved it, but I was just focused on trying to win tonight.»

Tatum was held to just seven points in 19 minutes thanks to some early foul trouble in Game 2, but the Celtics still cruised to a blowout victory despite a quiet night from their superstar.

«I only played 18 minutes, so it was like a day off,» Tatum said after shootaround Friday morning.

It took Tatum just three minutes into Friday's game to score more than he did in all of Game 2. And he matched his Game 2 output once again in the final three minutes of Game 3, outscoring the Sixers by himself, 7-6, at the end of the fourth quarter to help seal Boston's win.

«We were organized,» Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon said. «Just organized. Poised and made the