Kevin Harlan channeled one of the most famous calls in Celtics history on late Sixers’ steal

“MAXEY STOLE THE BALL!”

The Philadelphia 76ers made out like bandits in Game 1 against the Boston Celtics and Kevin Harlan made sure to rub some salt in that wound.

The Sixers bested the Celtics 119-115 in Game 1 on Monday thanks to a heroic 45-point performance from James Harden without Joel Embiid. The game was truly a wild start to the second round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, as the Celtics shot nearly 60 percent from the floor but were unable to claim victory.

The first nail in the Celtics’ coffin came from Tyrese Maxey in the dying seconds of the fourth quarter, as the guard picked off an errant Boston pass for an easy scoop and score to put the Sixers up 114-113. And on his call of the moment, Harlan invoked some old Celtics history to really rub it all in.

Yes, that’s Harlan throwing it back to the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals, where Celtics’ John Havlicek stole the ball in Game 7 to stop the Sixers from making a play in the final seconds.

Maxey stole the ball indeed!

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