Celtics advance to showdown vs. Cavs

Jayson Tatum caught a pass underneath the basket, shook off a hit and went up for the go-ahead layup with 23 seconds left and the host Celtics beat the 76ers 114112 on Wednesday night to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

Tatum scored 25 points, Jaylen Brown had 24 and Terry Rozier 17, sinking a pair of free throws after forcing Joel Embiid’s turnover in the final seconds. Al Horford added 15 points and eight rebounds for the Celtics, who will play the Cavaliers for the second straight year for a spot in the NBA Finals.

Game 1 is Sunday in Boston.

Embiid had 27 points and 12 rebounds for the 76ers, who won 20 out of 21 games before the Celtics beat them three straight times to open the East semifinals. Dario Saric had 27 points and 10 rebounds, and Ben Simmons added 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

After a Game 3 flop in New Orleans, similar to that lone first-round loss against the Spurs last month, coach Steve Kerr provided a quick reminder to the Warriors:

It’s not supposed to be easy at this stage — especially for the defending champions.

There’s no way this postseason can go as brilliantly as the last one. That remark- able, record-setting 16-1 run to the title, well, it’s not going to happen often, or maybe ever again.

“I told our team actually after Game 3 the day we practiced, I said, ‘What we did last year was the first time and only time anybody has ever accomplished that in the playoffs, gone 16-1,’ ” Kerr said. “I know the Lakers went 15-1, they had a similar kind of joy ride where very little adversity, but that’s the extreme exception. Year after year, the NBA champion has to go through so much. And that’s why you pour champagne on each other, because it’s really hard, and it’s supposed to be hard.”

Now comes the next and most daunting test in this quest for a repeat.

The Warriors eliminated the Pelicans with a 113-104 win Tuesday night and are on to the Western Conference finals to face the topseeded Rockets, who closed out the Jazz earlier Tuesday in their own Game 5. This is the matchup so many have looked to for months.

“Everybody is already talking about WarriorsRockets,” Warriors guard Klay Thompson said.

And for good reason. It might just have a Finals feel with so much talent and scoring on both teams.

“Every series you play gets harder and harder and harder,” Stephen Curry said.