Game‑3 highlight signals
- The Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 108-100 and the Los Angeles Lakers edged the Houston Rockets 112-108 in overtime on Friday, April 24, seizing 2-1 and 3-0 series leads. - Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored 25 points each for Boston, while LeBron James posted 29 points and 13 rebounds as the Lakers erased a six-point deficit in the final 30 seconds. - Friday’s road wins pushed Boston and Los Angeles into control of their first-round series, with the Lakers reaching the postseason’s first 3-0 lead. (nba.com)
Boston and Los Angeles turned Friday’s Game 3s into control games, with the Celtics beating Philadelphia 108-100 and the Lakers beating Houston 112-108 in overtime. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) The Celtics now lead the 76ers 2-1 in their Eastern Conference first-round series after winning on April 24 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. The Lakers lead the Rockets 3-0 after winning the same night at Toyota Center in Houston. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) Boston got 25 points from Jayson Tatum and 25 more from Jaylen Brown. Tatum scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, and Brown scored eight straight late to stretch the lead from 92-92 to 100-96. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) Philadelphia had a 31-point game from Tyrese Maxey, but the Celtics closed with 29 points in the fourth and held the 76ers to 100. Payton Pritchard added 15 points for Boston and hit a step-back 3-pointer that made it 103-98. (nba.com) Houston pushed Los Angeles to the edge before LeBron James tied the game with a 3-pointer with 13 seconds left in regulation. James finished with 29 points and 13 rebounds in more than 45 minutes. (nba.com) The Lakers were missing Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, and Houston was without Kevin Durant. Marcus Smart scored 21 points with 10 assists, five steals and two blocks, including eight points in overtime. (nba.com) (nba.com) Game 3 is often the first playoff game after a series changes cities, and Friday’s results gave both road teams a clearer edge in the matchup. Boston recovered after losing Game 2 at home, while Los Angeles moved one win from a sweep. (nba.com) (nba.com) The Lakers also reached the first 3-0 series lead of the 2026 playoffs. NBA.com’s live recap noted that no team in postseason history has lost a series after going up 3-0, with the record at 159-0. (nba.com) Boston’s win carried a separate piece of context because Tatum is still in his first season back after Achilles surgery in May 2025. NBA.com’s recap said Friday was only his 19th game this season, and he made 5 of 9 from 3-point range. (nba.com) The next test comes Sunday, April 26, when both series stay in the same buildings for Game 4. Boston can push Philadelphia to the brink, and Los Angeles can finish Houston’s season. (nba.com) (nba.com)
