The Philadelphia 76ers got their best win of the season, defeating the Boston Celtics 118-114 on Christmas Day. Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid were both excellent, scoring a combined 60 points. Jayson Tatum scored 32 for Boston, and Brown had 23 despite a bad first half. It was not enough for them, though, as they dropped their third game out of the last four. The Celtics were without Jrue Holiday, while the 76ers missed Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon. Philadelphia improved to 11-17 with the win, and the Boston Celtics fell to 22-8.
The Boston Celtics Slow Start
The division rivals spent the first quarter trading baskets. Tyrese Maxey was rolling early on, scoring 12 points in the quarter. The 76ers took the lead when Joel Embiid heated up, scoring an and-one to give them a five-point lead. Philadelphia went on a 7-0 run. Al Horford was a helpful contributor, making three three-pointers in the first quarter after a poor shooting stretch in recent games. Jayson Tatum also made an impact, scoring five first-quarter points. He missed their last loss to the Orlando Magic, and the Celtics’ offense suffered. Still, after another Maxey bucket, the Philadelphia 76ers led 30-25 at the end of the first quarter.
Derrick White got the second quarter started by drilling back-to-back three-pointers. But the 76ers were hot from beyond the arc and maintained their lead. Even with Embiid and Paul George on the bench, Maxey, Caleb Martin, Guerschon Yabusele, and others extended Philadelphia’s lead to double digits. They went on a 17-2 run, creating a large deficit for the Boston Celtics to overcome. Jaylen Brown struggled tremendously, making bad turnovers and missing his first seven shots. A hot stretch from Tatum helped Boston trim the 76ers lead, but an Embiid three-pointer gave Philadelphia a 66-58 lead heading into halftime.
The 76ers played one of their best halves of the season. Embiid scored 18 points after heating up in the second quarter. Maxey also had 18 points with eight assists. Yabusele had 10 points off the bench. They were shooting well, going 53.1% from the field and 45% from three. It was their highest-scoring half of the season. Tatum led the Boston Celtics with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Horford had 12 points, shooting 4-of-6 from three, and White had 11. But the Celtics’ defense was lacking and Brown shot 1-of-8, which was a huge factor in the 76ers 17-2 run.
The Philadelphia 76ers Big Win
In the third quarter, the Boston Celtics emphasized Brown early. After a poor first half, Brown scored four quick points, and the Celtics opened on a 7-0 run. Embiid continued to score for Philadelphia, getting to his spots in the mid-range and from three. But a three-pointer from Brown tied the game at 74. He had completely turned it around in the third quarter, helping Boston back into the game. The Celtics then took their first lead since the first quarter. Both teams then went cold in the final minutes of the third. At the end of the third quarter, the game was tied 82-82. Brown scored 14 points in the quarter, while the 76ers scored 16.
Philadelphia took the lead back in the fourth quarter, going on a 12-0 run. Maxey continued to light up the Celtics, which allowed the 76ers to keep Embiid on the bench. They wasted no time pushing their lead back to double digits, and all the work Boston did in the third quarter was suddenly erased. The 76ers went up by 15 off a three-pointer from Martin. Martin had seven three-pointers this game, which was a career-high. But the Boston Celtics were not lying down. White hit a step-back three, and the defense created turnovers. They went on an 11-0 run when the game looked over, making it a 108-105 game with two and a half minutes remaining.
Embiid put the 76ers back up by five with a pair of free throws. Then, after a Boston miss and a Maxey layup made it a seven-point lead. Boston brought it back to five, and a Brown layup made it a three-point game, but there were only 6 seconds left. Free throws from George and Embiid iced the game. A three from Brown made it close, but the Philadelphia 76ers won 118-114.
Final Thoughts
The 76ers improved to 11-17 with the win. Maxey scored 33 points and had 12 assists. Embiid had 27 points, and Caleb Martin had 23, shooting 7-of-9 from three. This was a statement win for Philadelphia, which dealt with injuries this season. But, with their stars healthy, they defeated the defending champions. The Boston Celtics fell to 22-8 with the loss. Tatum had 32 points, and Brown had 23. The Celtics have lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. They’ve lost three out of the last four, and this is their worst stretch of the season. The Boston Celtics are not playing like NBA Champions and need to right the ship soon.
