MOST 3-POINTERS MADE, 1ST HALF, NBA FINALS 14 - SAN ANTONIO VS. NEW YORK, TONIGHT 13 - Cleveland vs. Golden State, 6/9/17 12 - Golden State vs. Cleveland, 6/7/17 11 - 6 times, including Boston vs. Dallas, 6/6/24

MOST 1ST-HALF POINTS, NBA FINALS GAME 86 - Cleveland vs. Golden State, 6/9/17 79 - Boston vs. LA Lakers, 5/27/85 76 - Boston vs. St. Louis, 3/27/60 75 - LA Lakers vs. Boston, 6/4/87 73 - LA Lakers vs. Boston, 4/8/62 73 - Philadelphia vs. San Francisco, 4/4/67

Was honored to be a guest recently on John Leahy's "Airing It Out-Files From Leahy's Broadcast Booth" podcast. www.leahystorytelling.com/a-conversati...

In tonight's game, OKC's Alex Caruso became the first player in NBA playoff history to have at least 8 3-pointers, 2 blocks and 2 steals in a game.

What a performance by Wemby! PLAYERS WITH 40+ PTS, 20+ REB AND 3+ BLOCKS IN PLAYOFF GAME Wilt Chamberlain - 4 times Shaquille O'Neal - 3 times Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - 2 times Hakeem Olajuwon - 2 times David Robinson - once Victor Wembanyama - tonight

Because of the Celtics' Game 7 loss, the Sultan of Stat doesn't have to sultan beyond the first round. Yet he's still a champion. How is that possible? Math, my friends, advanced math. @dicklipe.bsky.social delivers, as always, with the noteage you need to know. ⬇️

Derrick White is just the 3rd player to have at least 5 3-pointers and 3 blocks in a Game 7 Kevin Durant, GSW at HOU, 5/28/18 Robert Covington, HOU vs. OKC, 9/2/20

Derrick White's 19 points is his most in any game since Mar. 16 (21 vs. Phoenix). He also had a block and a drawn charge at the defensive end. Bench points: BOS 18 (8/15 FG), PHI 2 (1/5 FG)

Tonight's starting lineup for the Celtics has not played a single minute together all season. White Brown Garza Scheierman Harper Jr.

Pregame thoughts... Boston has won the 1st Q in all 6 games, outscoring the 76ers 170-126. C's are 23-5 this season when the centers combine for at least 23 points. It's happened only once in series. Brown, who is playing in his 9th Game 7, leads the NBA in isolation points in the postseason (41)

After Thursday's loss in Philadelphia, the Sultan of Stat scrambled to come up with noteage for a Game 7 few expected. The Celtics needed to win a home game Tuesday to get a playoff rest. Now they need to win a home game to avoid being eliminated. Dick Lipe with the details. ⬇️

Tatum with another big 1st quarter: 9 pts, 9 reb, 2 asst. He has 29 1st-quarter rebounds in the series, most of any player in the postseason, and 17 assists, 2nd most. He is also 1 of only 6 players with at least 40 1st quarter points.

Pregame thoughts... Since mid-January, the Celtics are 12-1 after a loss. Brown: 27.1 PPG, .507 FG% in those games In 10 career Game 6's, Tatum has averaged 25.9 PPG, best ever by a Celtic. He's had 30 or better in 4 of his last 6 White: NBA's 4th best defensive FG% in playoffs (.378)

Since 2022, Boston is just 4-11 in the game following a postseason win of 20+ points. 2022: -2, -11, -6, +13 2023: +12, -7 2024: -10, +14, +25, -24 2025: -3, -8, -38 2026: -14, -16

CELTIC HISTORY: FEWEST 4TH Q POINTS, POSTSEASON 8 - at New York, 4/20/13 9 - vs. Milwaukee, 4/29/83 10 - vs. Indiana, 4/25/05 10 - vs. Syracuse, 3/27/54 11 - VS. PHILADELPHIA, TONIGHT 11 - vs. Atlanta, 5/6/12

Jayson Tatum with his 39th career 20 point-10 rebound postseason double-double, which moves him ahead of Kevin McHale into sole possession of 3rd most in Celtic history Bird - 61 Russell - 48 Tatum - 39 McHale - 38

1st half notes... Both teams shot poorly from 3, but Celtics were 18/25 (.720) inside the arc. Celtics have a +9 advantage in rebounds and a 22-8 edge in bench points Tatum: 2nd 1st half in series with at least 14 pts, 8 reb, 4 asst, 2 stl

Queta's 8 rebounds are the most by a Celtic in the first quarter of a playoff game since Kendrick Perkins did it twice in the Detroit series in 2008. 1st Q rebounds: BOS 19, PHIL 12 ... C's have outrebounded the 76ers in every game the teams have played this season (RS & PO)

CELTICS: HIGHEST GAME 5 SCORING AVG 24.64 - Larry Bird, 1980-82 24.59 - JAYSON TATUM, 2018-25 22.4 - Paul Pierce, 2002-13 21.9 - John Havlicek, 1963-77 20.6 - Dave Cowens, 1972-80 20.2 - JAYLEN BROWN, 2017-25

CELTICS: HIGHEST GAME 5 SCORING AVG 24.64 - Larry Bird, 1980-82 24.59 - JAYSON TATUM, 2018-25 22.4 - Paul Pierce, 2002-13 21.9 - John Havlicek, 1963-77 20.6 - Dave Cowens, 1972-80 20.2 - JAYLEN BROWN, 2017-25

Pregame thoughts.. Celtics are 32-0 all-time in series when up 3-1. They've closed it out in 5 games 21 times, in 6 games 9 times and have gone the distance twice. Joe Mazzulla is 7-3 in closeout games. Jayson Tatum is 15-9 in closeout games, with averages of 25 pts and 8.5 rebs

The Sultan of Stat has a lot in common with Payton Pritchard... They're both vertically challenged and do their best work late at night. (The Sultan doesn't play basketball, so make of that last part what you will.) Dick Lipe's Pritchard-packed noteage from the Celtics' Game 4 rout of Philly. ⬇️

MOST 30-POINT WINS VS. OPPONENT IN PLAYOFFS 6 - BOSTON VS. PHILADELPHIA 4 - Boston vs. LA Lakers 3 - Cleveland vs. Boston 3 - Cleveland vs. Toronto 3 - Golden State vs. Houston 3 - LA Lakers vs. Denver 3 - LA Lakers vs. San Antonio

MOST POINTS BY CELTIC OFF BENCH, POSTSEASON 34 - Kevin McHale, at Detroit, 5/17/91 32 - PAYTON PRITCHARD, AT PHILADELPHIA, TONIGHT 31 - Eddie House, vs. Orlando, 5/6/09 30 - Kevin McHale, vs. Charlotte, 5/1/93 28 - Kevin McHale, at Detroit, 5/13/91

That was Jaylen Brown's 7th offensive foul of the postseason. No one else in the league has more than 4

Pritchard is the 6th player in NBA history, and the first Celtic, to make at least 5 3's in back-to-back playoff games off the bench. The others: Grayson Allen (MIL), Jordan Clarkson (UTA), Stephen Curry (GS), Spencer Dinwiddie (DAL) and Nick Van Exel (DAL)

Philadelphia's 1st offensive rebound of the night came on their 33rd missed field goal attempt.

MOST 1ST HALF POINTS BY A CELTIC OFF BENCH, Playoffs 18 - Payton Pritchard, tonight 18 - Kristaps Porzingis, vs. Dallas, 6/6/24 15 - Tony Delk, vs. Detroit, 5/12/02 15 - Marcus Morris Sr, vs. Indiana, 4/14/19 14 - Brogdon, R. Davis, McCarty

The Celtics received 24 points from the bench in the first quarter, the most by any team in a playoff game since that stat was first tracked in 2002. Previous record of 20 was set by Miami against Milwaukee in 2021. Bench points, last 5 quarters: Boston 59, Phil 14.

The Celtics have outrebounded Sixers in each of the first 7 meetings between the 2 teams this season. So far tonight, it's 12-4 Boston.

Pregame thoughts... Tatum has averaged 26.7 pts in 22 Game 4's, best of any Celtic (Sam Jones 26.6) Brown has scored in doubles in 101 consecutive p/o games, 3rd longest by a Celtic (Bird 113, McHale 104) C's last won consecutive playoff games Apr. 27-29, 2025 vs. Orlando

Last night, Jayson Tatum became only the third player in NBA playoff history with at least 3,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 300 3-pointers, joining LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

The Sultan of Stat was seen canoodling with a Celtic history book and a calculator tonight. @dicklipe.bsky.social emerged from this threesome with your key noteage from the Game 3 victory in Philadelphia and a 2-1 series lead.

This is the 5th time in Celtic playoff history that 3 players (Brown, White, Vucevic) have blocked at least 3 shots. Last time: 5/7/22 vs. Milwaukee (Tatum, Rob Williams, Grant Williams)

Strong effort from the Celtic bench as they become the 1st team in the play-by-play era to amass at least 7 3's and more than 10 rebounds in the 1st half of a playoff game. The Boston reserves have scored 23 while Philly has only 4 in 29 minutes, Celtics only 12 pts in paint.

This is the 3rd time in the play-by-play era that the Celtic bench made 4 three-pointers in the opening quarter. 5/11/23 at Philadelphia 4/21/23 at Atlanta

Pregame notes... Each of the 6 BOS-PHIL games this season have been won by the team that makes the most 3's The Celtics have had the rebounding edge in all 6 games vs. 76ers this season Brown's 31 PPG is tied with SGA for 2nd most in playoffs, and Tatum is 1st in fast break pts (15)

Neemias Queta broke the Celtic record for field goal percentage this year, finishing at .653. Cedric Maxwell held the record for over 45 years. .653 - Queta, 2025-25 .609 - Maxwell, 1979-80 .604 - McHale, 1986-87 .604 - McHale, 1987-88 .602 - Perkins, 2009-10 (Min. 300 FGM)

After losses by the Celtics and Red Sox, the Bruins' victory allowed the city of Boston to avoid a Tuesday night Splat Trick. The undefeated-for-life Sultan of Stat puts the Celts' Game 2 loss to Philly in numerically historical perspective. @dicklipe.bsky.social with the details. ⬇️

Philadelphia, after making only 4 of their first 26 threes in the series, knocked down 10 of their last 13. Most 1st half rebounds, 2026 playoffs: Tatum 14, Hart 13, Jokic 11 ... Tatum also 4th most 1st H pts (33) & 4th most assists (9)

Boston dominating the boards early with a 13-4 rebound advantage. Tatum has as many as the entire Sixer team. Three-pointers: Celtics 5/11, Sixers 0/6

All-time, the Celtics are 45-1 in best-of-7 series when they go up 2-0. Loss was to Cleveland in 2018. Meanwhile, the 76ers franchise is 0-15 in best-of-7 series when falling behind 2-0. Boston is just 3-4 in its last seven home Game 2's, including 91-90 to New York last year.

CELTIC HISTORY: MOST 25-10-5 PLAYOFF GAMES 26 - Larry Bird 23 - JAYSON TATUM (including today) 15 - John Havlicek 10 - Bill Russell 7 - Dave Cowens 7 - Paul Pierce

CELTICS: Largest halftime lead vs. Philadelphia in playoffs 20 - May 19, 1982 20 - Mar. 22, 1959* 19 - Apr. 22, 1981 18 - Today 17 - May 9, 1982

21+ PTS, 8+ REB, 4+ AST, 2+ STL in 1st Half of Playoff Game, last 30 years Tatum today Jimmy Butler vs. Celtics, 5/27/22 Westbrook vs. Houston, 4/19/17

10 of the first 14 fouls in today's games have been called on centers. Queta, Vucevic, Garza, Bona and Drummond all with 2.

Tatum is just the 3rd player in the play-by-play era to have at least 10 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in the 1st quarter of a playoff game. The others: Giannis vs. Boston in 2022 and Jokic vs. Clippers in 2020

Jayson Tatum could pass all these players in playoff scoring during the first-round series vs. Sixers: Clyde Drexler Reggie Miller Chris Paul James Worthy Klay Thompson Russell Westbrook Manu Ginobili Julius Erving He's 28.