Tag: sixers vs. celtics

Sixers overwhelmed by Celtics in Boston, lose 116-95

The Sixers were dominated pretty much wire-to-wire Saturday night in Boston.

The road woes of the Philadelphia 76ers continued in a big way Saturday night, as the team was blown out by the rival Boston Celtics 116-95.

The Sixers were never really even in the game. After Joel Embiid opened the game with a bucket, Boston ripped off a 7-0 run and that was pretty much it for the Sixers. By the end of the first quarter, the Sixers found themselves down 13.

The trouble continued in the second, as Boston pushed the lead as high as 16. The Sixers did show a bit of life late in the quarter and were able to trim the lead to a manageable eight at halftime.

Unfortunately, the third quarter was an absolute disaster. The Sixers were basically helpless, left to suffer the will of the Celtics. The Boston lead ballooned to 22 before settling at 19 heading into the fourth quarter. Philadelphia was outscored 27-16 in the third, the second time on Saturday night they failed to scored 20 points in a quarter (19 in the first).

The fourth quarter was a mere formality, as the Celtics cruised to the 21-point win.

It was a terrible showing by the Sixers. They shot just 36.9 percent from the field and a dismal 21.2 percent from 3. Meanwhile, Boston connected on 47.5 percent overall as the Sixers had far too many defensive breakdowns. The team committed 14 turnovers while forcing only 10.

Ben Simmons’ performance is the only thing that could be considered even a semblance of a bright spot, as he put up 23 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. Furkan Korkmaz had 14 off the bench, and no other Sixer had more than 11.

Adding to the frustration is what happened in the game prior. A 10-point loss to the 12-win Atlanta Hawks should have been all the Sixers needed to reset the focus and for them to put forth the effort we saw Saturday night is concerning. When you also consider where the Sixers are in the standings, and where they expected to be, what has happened over the last two games is inexcusable.

With the Sixers’ inability to correct their road issues and their current position in the standings, this team is facing some real concerns right now. All things considered, Saturday’s effort is incredibly disappointing.

Things don’t get any easier for the Sixers, who play at Miami on Monday and then at East-leading Milwaukee on Thursday. The good news is the team will quickly get an opportunity to show what they’re made of, but the bad news is they’ve done very little to inspire confidence that the results will change.

Josh Richardson propels Sixers past Celtics 109-98

Without Joel Embiid, Josh Richardson stepped up to lead the Sixers to a big win over the Boston Celtics.

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]

Joel Embiid powers Sixers to big 115-109 win over Celtics

Sixers star Joel Embiid made quite a statement with a dominant performance against the rival Celtics.

How’s that for a response? Days after being criticized on national television by NBA legends Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley, Joel Embiid responded emphatically with a masterful performance to lead his Philadelphia 76ers over the rival Boston Celtics Thursday night.

The game was close throughout, but the Sixers erased a three-point halftime deficit and made enough plays down the stretch to secure the win. And time and again it was Embiid stepping up.

The big man finished with a sparkling stat line of 38 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, and a block. The importance of that block can’t be overstated, as it was an emphatic rejection of a Daniel Theis layup with 15 seconds left and the Sixers holding a four-point lead. To top off the play, he calmly knocked down two free-throws to all but seal the game. Speaking of free-throws, Embiid was 12-of-14 from the charity stripe. He was also 12-of-21 from the field and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. He finished as a +21 and he simply carried the Sixers to this win. Oh, and he only committed two turnovers.

Embiid was the difference and will deservedly garner the headlines, but he did get some help. Tobias Harris was again fantastic for the Sixers, hitting several tough shots and contributing 23 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.

Mike Scott provided a big boost staring in place of Al Horford, knocking down five 3’s, scoring 15 points and grabbing four rebounds. Josh Richardson started to return to form, chipping in 14 points, two rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks. Ben Simmons was quiet offensively with just seven points, but he added eight rebounds and six assists.

Furkan Korkmaz had seven points off the bench, and Matisse Thybulle chipped in six points, two assists, two blocks, a rebound and a steal.

If we wanted to nit-pick for a concern, it would be the failure of Simmons to assertively post up when he had a smaller player on him and one glaring refusal to shoot a 3 on a possession that ended in a turnover. But it’s hard to be upset with the Sixers’ performance.

The team committed just 11 turnovers and shot 50% from both the field and from 3. The Sixers assisted on 27 of 41 made field goals, won the rebounding battle 45-33 and played impressive defense in the second half. After getting torched by Kemba Walker in the first half, the Sixers all but shut him down in the second, and it was great to see them close out a big win in a tough environment.

The win moved the Sixers to 19-7 on the season and allowed them to jump the Celtics in the standings. The victory also put the first blemish on Boston’s home record, where it had been 10-0. The Sixers are now 2-0 against the Celtics on the season, and Thursday’s road win was really impressive.

They won’t have to wait long to try to keep the momentum going, as they return to action Friday night when they host the New Orleans Pelicans.

Al Horford questionable Thursday night against Celtics

The Sixers forward’s return to Boston is in question due to knee soreness and hamstring tightness.

New Philadelphia 76ers forward Al Horford was set to play in Boston Thursday night for the first time since leaving the Celtics to sign with the Sixers this summer. Now, it looks like that homecoming might be in jeopardy.

Per the Inquirer’s Keith Pompey, Horford is now listed as questionable for the key matchup between division rivals. Pompey reports that the forward’s status is in doubt due to left knee soreness and left hamstring tightness, ailments for which he underwent treatment this morning. Pompey also notes that Horford did go through shootaround, which would seem to indicate that Horford will try to play.

Horford spent three seasons in Boston, becoming a fan favorite along the way. He averaged 13.5 points, seven rebounds, and 4.6 assists for the Celtics.

From a Sixers perspective, it would certainly be nice to have Horford on the court. Despite it only being early December, Thursday’s matchup holds plenty of importance. The Sixers and Celtics currently sit tied four games back of the Eastern Conference-leading Milwaukee Bucks. Boston is 17-6 while the Sixers are 18-7.

Stay tuned to Sixers Wire for updates on Horford’s status as game time approaches. [lawrence-related id=21127,21109]