BOSTON — To say Kyrie Irving was in a groove Christmas Day would be a massive understatement.
It didn’t take very long to realize Irving was going to turn in a masterful performance against the Philadelphia 76ers. After serving as the catalyst with 16 points and five rebounds in the first quarter, Irving played the role of finisher in the Celtics’ 121-114 overtime win at TD Garden.
Irving sent the game into sudden death with a game-tying fadeaway over Jimmy Butler from an impossible angle and followed up his clutch basket with a pair of massive 3-pointers in overtime. The five-time All-Star finished the night with a game-high 40 points to go along with 10 rebounds, marking the first time he’s posted such a stat line in his career.
Tuesday, of course, wasn’t just another game for the C’s. Aside from being a marquee Christmas Day matchup, Boston entered the contest having lost three of its last four, and a loss against a division rival it historically has dominated could have been demoralizing. But despite the pressure from different areas, Irving evidently was completely at ease heading into the game.
“Come out and have fun,” Irving said. “You know, enjoy being out there to be with my teammates. You know, high-level game. Always talk about being on those big stages — just so much fun. It’s just competition at its highest. I mean, I love going against the best so it’s not too often you get to do that in the regular season, especially on a holiday like Christmas. Got to open presents with my family this morning and come into work. You know, it’s great.”
Al Horford had a front-row seat to Irving’s dazzling showcase, and it’s something he’s grown to expect from the star point guard in high-leverage situations.
“It was great. It was a lot of fun,” Horford said. “I remember Kyle Korver — when we got Kyrie at first — one of the things he told me is he makes shots in big moments. Like he’s the guy we would go to here. It’s just great because Ky taking those big shots or making the right play, just having the ball in his hands. It was a lot of fun, crowd went crazy after that second one. Emotions running high.”
We’ve still yet to see Irving show what he’s capable of in the postseason as a member of the Celtics, but performances like Tuesday’s surely have Boston fans itching to watch Uncle Drew under the bright lights.
Here are some other notes from Tuesday’s Celtics-76ers game:
— After trailing 113-108 with 3:18 left to play in overtime, the Celtics closed the extra frame on a 13-1 run.
— Joel Embiid paced the 76ers with a team-high 34 points with 16 rebounds. But despite coming ever so close to a tough road win, the star big man hasn’t changed his view about the dynamic between the C’s and Sixers.
— Jayson Tatum matched Irving for the Celtics team-high in rebounds to go along with his 23 points. It’s the third time the second-year forward his posted a 20-point, 10-rebound game in his career.
— While Irving was the closer, Terry Rozier was the unsung hero. The veteran guard scored eight of his 10 points in the fourth quarter, six of which by way of 3-pointers.
— The Celtics now have won two straight after halting their losing streak at three Sunday. They’ll look to keep things rolling over the course of a three-game Western Conference road trip starting Thursday night against the Houston Rockets.
