East Conf. Semis Game 4: Boston Celtics 92-103 Philadelphia 76ers - 5 Talking Points

#1 Dario Saric had his first good game of the series to compensate for Embiid's dip

Saric was the top scorer in this game

Sophomore Dario Saric was a big factor in the Sixers' first-round series against the Heat. Saric averaged 16.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists in that series despite getting matched up with defenders of similar ability.

The Celtics proved to be a different beast, however, and Saric was restricted to a scoring average of 12.3 points through the first 3 games of the series. He'd only converted 37% of his 35 field goal attempts, and he was due for a big game to make up for his lapses in those games.

In his newfound role as a small forward for much of this game, Saric was exceptional. He finished the game with 25 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and a block and was quite effective in his jump shooting. For a change, he made 9 of his 17 field goals while also converting all 6 of his free throw attempts into points.

In a game where Joel Embiid was unable to pack his usual scoring punch (he finished with 15 points on 15 shots), Saric's rescue act made the difference in an 11-point victory at home that makes the series a little less lopsided for the Celtics as it stands.