In an early season rematch, the Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers with a 117-107 victory on Wednesday night from Wells Fargo Center.
With the win, Boston moves to 9-2 while Philadelphia falls to 8-3.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Boston entered the rematch shorthanded as Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis did not suit up. For Philadelphia, their best player in reigning MVP Joel Embiid did play after entering as a game-time decision with a hip injury.
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As a result, the Celtics needed the bench to step up from the opening tip. The group did just that. Boston established the momentum in the first quarter, getting points from eight different scorers to open up a 15-point lead after the opening 12 minutes.
In the second, it was the 76ers’ turn to dominate a quarter, finishing with a plus-16 mark to erase the Boston lead by halftime. Tyrese Maxey helped push Philadelphia’s pace while forcing six Celtics turnovers.
As the trend continued, the Celtics bounced back in the third quarter with a plus-9 mark, with the difference coming from a trio of Al Horford three-pointers.
Boston finished the job in the fourth quarter with the lineup as Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and Horford nailed big shots to close out the win.
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In a shorthanded effort, Boston rode the highs of momentum swings and closed out a quality Eastern Conference team.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Tatum led the way in a limited group of starters, pouring in 29 points.
— Jrue Holiday stepped up to produce as a scorer with 18 points.
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— Horford gave the team a spark, recording 14 points and five blocks, including the flurry of third-quarter three-pointers.
WAGER WATCH
Philadelphia’s De’Anthony Melton entered Wednesday’s contest at +1100 to score the first basket, per FanDuel SportsBook. With his opening three-pointer, a $100 wager on Melton would have cashed for $1,100 for a $1,200 total payout.
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UP NEXT
The Celtics head north of the border to battle the Toronto Raptors for an In-Season Tournament matchup on Friday night. Tip-off from Scotiabank Arena is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
Featured image via Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports Images
