Jayson Tatum's Second-Quarter Three Sparks Celtics' Rout of 76ers in Game 4

Jayson Tatum's Second-Quarter Three Confirmed in Game 4

Jayson Tatum knocked down a three-pointer in the second quarter of Boston's playoff clash with Philadelphia, a shot that came during a stretch where the Celtics were quietly pulling away from the 76ers. The make happened on April 26, 2026, in what turned into a comfortable night for Boston.

Tatum's stat line by the final buzzer read 30 points and 11 assists, with ESPN's play-by-play log crediting him with multiple made threes on the night, including looks from 25 and 26 feet plus a late fourth-quarter triple. The second-quarter three fits into that string of makes, arriving as part of a Boston surge that would define the rest of the evening.

The Setting: Game 4 in Philadelphia

This wasn't a random regular-season possession  it was Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first round between the Celtics and 76ers, played at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. With Boston already holding a series edge coming in, every made shot carried extra weight for a road team trying to close out the momentum on enemy turf.

Tatum's three landed in front of a building that's usually hostile to visiting teams, but on this night it was Celtics green doing most of the celebrating.

Did the Three Actually Swing the Game?

Here's where context matters more than highlight-reel instinct. Boston outscored Philadelphia 22-20 in the second quarter and took a 56-38 lead into halftime a solid but not overwhelming margin at that point. Tatum's three was part of that push, but it wasn't a single-shot game-changer in the way a buzzer-beater or a go-ahead bucket in the final minute would be.

The full picture only becomes clear once you look at how the game actually ended: Boston won 128-96, with quarter-by-quarter scoring of 34-22-39-33 against Philadelphia's 18-20-36-22. That means the Celtics' biggest damage came in the third and fourth quarters, not the second. So while Tatum's second-quarter three was a real, confirmed moment that helped extend Boston's cushion, calling it 'the shot that decided Game 4' overstates its role this was a total team effort that snowballed across all four quarters.

Notably, Tatum wasn't even Boston's leading scorer that honor went to Payton Pritchard, who exploded for 32 points off the bench, outscoring Tatum's 30. The three-pointer was a genuine highlight, but the game's real story was Boston's depth overwhelming Philadelphia across the board.

What Tatum Said and What's Next for the Series

Tatum's postgame comments actually pointed away from himself. He praised Pritchard's bench spark, saying he's 'always competitive' and 'always takes on the challenge,' crediting his teammate's ability to create his own shot and score in bunches. Tatum also highlighted Boston's rebounding, calling the extra second- and third-chance possessions 'huge' for fueling the offense that night.

He didn't leave out the road environment either, calling the traveling Celtics fans who showed up in Philadelphia 'another luxury' — something he said he's been fortunate to experience throughout his career.

The win pushed Boston to a 3-1 series lead, putting the Celtics one victory away from closing out the first round. Game 5 shifted back to Boston on Tuesday, April 28, giving the Celtics a chance to finish things at home in front of the crowd Tatum has come to rely on all season.