BOSTON — The Celtics found a way to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, overcoming their shorthanded status with a 106-99 victory at TD Garden.
The C’s improved their league-best record to 39-16, while the Sixers dropped to 34-19.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
The Celtics had no business winning this game.
After entering without starters Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III and Al Horford, Boston saw Jaylen Brown go down in the closing minutes of the first half. From that point, the Celtics were forced to roll out a number of lineups who had no experience playing with each other in hopes to take down the Eastern Conference’s third seed, who entered the game fully healthy.
After halftime, the Celtics’ plan shifted toward living or dying by the three.
They survived.
Sam Hauser, Malcolm Brogdon, Grant Williams and Blake Griffin all benefitted from more playing time due to the Celtics’ injuries, and combined to go 15-of-20 from beyond the arc. As a team, Boston shot a season-high 54.3% from distance, essentially stealing the game from Philly.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Derrick White might be the greatest rim protector of his generation. Sitting at second in blocks among guards, the vet added a pair to his total Wednesday, capping off a 19-point, two-block performance with a beauty in the fourth quarter.
— Brogdon essentially ran the offense in the second half, finishing tied with a team-high 19 points to go along with five rebounds and three assists.
— Who saw that coming from Griffin? Receiving his 10th start of the season, the veteran turned in his best performance yet, scoring 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc.
WAGER WATCH
Tobias Harris opened up the scoring to give Philly a quick lead. His lay-in was costly for DraftKings Sportsbook, who gave him +750 odds to get things started. A $100 bet on the veteran netted a payout of $850.
UP NEXT
The Celtics will stay at TD Garden to host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
