It had been a rough day for the Philadelphia 76ers, who learned this afternoon they would be without Joel Embiid for the foreseeable future. In need of something positive, the team delivered in a big way, defeating the rival Boston Celtics 109-98 Thursday night.
It was a wildly entertaining game as the teams traded blows all night long.
Both teams started out hot, running out to a 19-19 tie midway through the first quarter. However, the Celtics were able to maintain the level of play for a bit longer than the Sixers, and took a nine-point lead after one.
Boston continued to build the lead in the second quarter, getting it as high as 15, before the Sixers went on a push to get within seven at the break, setting the tone for an intense second half.
After giving up the first basket of the second half, the Sixers ripped off an 11-0 spurt to take a two-point lead. Philadelphia would lead by as many as six in the third, only to see the Celtics deliver a response of their own to carry a three-point advantage into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter turned into a dominant one for the Sixers, giving up just 18 points while scoring 32. Philadelphia took the lead with 10:25 to go and would never relinquish it despite continued pushes from the Celtics before gaining some distance down the stretch.
Josh Richardson was fantastic for Sixers, dropping 29 points, seven assists, and three rebounds. He was 9-of-16 from the field and a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe. Richardson played a huge role in the Sixers hot start, and kept making big baskets throughout the night.
Ben Simmons had 19 points, nine rebounds, and three assists and again had a huge impact on the defensive end.
Al Horford stepped up in the absence of Embiid, chipping in 17 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. He also added a steal and two blocks and led the Sixers with a +19.
Tobias Harris added 16 points, seven rebounds, and three assists while Mike Scott had seven points and four rebounds stepping into the starting lineup.
James Ennis III (six points, two rebounds, two steals) and Norvel Pelle (six points, four rebounds, two blocks) provided great energy off the bench. In addition, Furkan Korkmaz hit a couple big 3’s for the Sixers en route to nine points, while Matisse Thybulle made his return with five rebounds, two assists, and his usual defensive intensity.
Even without Embiid, the Sixers won the rebounding battle 48-38 and pulled down an impressive 13 offensive rebounds. Philadelphia shot a respectable 40.7% from 3 and won the turnover battle.
The win moved the Sixers to 3-0 against the Celtics this season, giving them the season series win over their rivals for the first time in what feels like forever. In a jumbled Eastern Conference, that could loom large with playoff seeding. The Sixers pulled to within 1.5 games of the Celtics in the standings.
The Sixers will look to keep rolling on Saturday when they travel to Dallas to take on the Mavericks. [lawrence-related id=23128,23099,23079]