The Boston Celtics entered Monday night in dire need of bounce-back game, and they got just that against the hapless Philadelphia 76ers.
The Celtics led by 20 or more points for much of the second half and cruised to a 105-87 win. The 18-point blowout was the Boston’s largest victory of the season, and it put an end to a three-game losing streak.
— The Celtics have made a habit of leaping out to fast starts this season, but it actually was the Sixers who came out flying Monday. Philadelphia scored the first seven points of the game and held an 11-2 lead when Stevens used his first timeout at the 7:43 mark of the first quarter.
From then on, however, it was all Celtics. Boston finished the first half on a 55-27 run and never looked back.
— Head coach Brad Stevens announced before the game that Marcus Thornton will miss “a couple of weeks” after partially tearing his left calf muscle during practice Sunday. Marcus Smart, meanwhile, is expected back at practice Tuesday. Smart missed Monday’s game with an Achilles strain.
— Even without the services of Thornton and Smart, the Celtics’ bench racked up 61 points. Kelly Olynyk (30 points), Brandon Bass (14) and Evan Turner (12) all scored in double figures.
— Olynyk 30-point effort represented a career high for the second-year big man, who’s previous high of 28 also came against the 76ers last April. He’s the first Celtics player to score 30 off the bench in regulation since Ricky Davis did so in 2005, per ESPN.com’s Chris Forsberg.
— Avery Bradley got off to a hot start with 11 first-quarter points but cooled after that, scoring just four over the final three frames. Bradley also struggled mightily from deep, going a miserable 1-for-11 from 3-point range. Jared Sullinger also turned in his fourth straight underwhelming performance, grabbing 11 rebounds but managing just five points on 2-of-10 shooting.
— Everett, Mass., native Nerlens Noel has the best game of his young NBA tenure for the 76ers. The flat-topped big man scored a career-high 19 points (9-of-12 shooting) to go along with eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks.
— K.J. McDaniels is OK at dunking.
— And Rajon Rondo’s ball-handling isn’t too shabby.
— The Celtics and Sixers both like to push the pace, but only one team did so with any sort of success Monday. Just look at the final tally of fast-break points:
Celtics: 25
76ers: 1
Oof.
— Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels was in attendance. Scoping out his future hometown’s basketball team, perhaps? (Probably not.)
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Thumbnail photo via Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports Images
