BOX SCORE
BOSTONThey Sixers knew the odds when it came to Game 7s: the home team wins 80 percent of the time.
But they had defied the odds before and with 4:16 to play, trailing by three after shooting just 35 percent, they seemed capable of doing the improbable.
Thats when Rajon Rondo took over the game. From the 3:39 mark until there was just 1:45 left, the Celtics point guard scored nine points, grabbed two rebounds and took a three-point lead and stretched it to 10.
The Celtics beat the Sixers 85-75 to advance and will meet the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Sixers won the third quarter 19-14 and trailed 55-52 to start the fourth quarter. Jrue Holiday had two huge plays in the closing 1:19 of the third, with two steals, a bucket and an assist. Game 7 was the first game this series in which the team that lost the third quarter won the game.
The Sixers committed 15 turnovers on the night.
NBA
The Sixers shot 28 percent in the first half. Boston shot 38 percent but the Celtics were 0 for 9 from three-point range.
For the Sixers, the worst part of the first half was the way they finished it. After a Spencer Hawes dunk at the 4:06 mark in the second quarter, the Sixers trailed 32-30. They proceeded to miss 6 of 7 field goal attempts to trail 41-33 at the half.
Turning point
At the 4:16 mark Paul Pierce fouled out of the game. The Celtics led 71-68. The loss of the future Hall of Famer should have been a dagger to the Celtics. Instead, the Sixers turned the ball over on their ensuing possession.
That turnover ignited Rondo, who scored nine consecutive points for Boston.
Follow the leader
The Celtics starting frontcourt carried them. Kevin Garnett had 18 points, Brandon Bass had 16 and Paul Pierce had 15.
Meanwhile, Ray Allen and Rondo combined to shoot 9 for 24 but Allen hit two huge fourth-quarter threes and Rondo hit three field goals in the final four minutes.
Andre Iguodala led the Sixers with 18 points. Elton Brand and Holiday each had 15 points and Thaddeus Young was huge on the boards with 10 rebounds.
Stat-egic
The Celtics had seven steals in the first half and that fueled their fast break. They outscored the Sixers in the open floor 13-2. Boston had just one fast-break point in the second half.
Take a bow
Rondo scored 11 of team-high 18 points in the fourth quarter and he handed out four of his 10 assists in the final 12 minutes.
Whats next
The Celtics will move on to play the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Sixers front office must get to work deciding which pieces this team will keep, while looking for ways to improve for next season.
E-mail Dei Lynam at dlynam@comcastsportsnet.com