76ers Playoff Watch: Boston Celtics Shock the NBA by Upsetting Brooklyn Nets

While in Washington DC preparing for Game 3, the Philadelphia 76ers had the opportunity to watch Friday night's slate of NBA Playoff games. Following the Atlanta Hawks' victory over the New York Knicks, the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets participated in their Game 3 in Boston on Friday night.

Unlike the first series mentioned, the Nets and the Celtics' seven-game series hasn't really been all that competitive. As Boston is missing a key player in Jaylen Brown and also lacks the notable star power to keep up with Brooklyn's roster, it seemed it was only a matter of time before the Nets downed the seventh-seeded Celtics.

Game 1 was a blowout in favor of the second-seeded Nets. Game 2 was no different as Brooklyn destroyed the Celtics and took a swift 2-0 lead in the series. While switching arenas for Game 3 was expected to make somewhat of a difference, nobody expected Boston to pull off a victory.

Through the first half, the Celtics were in control. Thanks to a strong performance led by Jayson Tatum, Boston managed to lead the Nets going into the intermission with a 61-57 lead. Tatum's stellar first-half performance translated well into the second half.

As he played the entire third quarter, Tatum went 5-8 from the field and 7-9 from the free-throw line. Marcus Smart, who also clocked in for the entire quarter, collected 10 points of his own as he was perfect from beyond the arc and the free-throw line.

A strong third quarter gave Boston a 96-84 lead heading into the final period. While Brooklyn's Big Three rallied and created 33 of the Nets' 35 fourth-quarter points, Boston did just enough in the final quarter to hold onto their lead.

Typically, when James Harden drops 41 points, and Kevin Durant collects 39 points in the same game, Brooklyn would come out on top. However, Jayson Tatum's 50-point night stole the spotlight as it allowed the Celtics to upset the Nets with a 125-119 victory in Game 3. Now, Boston will host Game 4 as they trail 2-1.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.