By Darryl Harding Sr –
A depleted Philadelphia 76ers team, with reigning MVP Joel Embiid recovering from knee surgery, managed to stay relevant in this game with high scorer Tyrese Maxey having 32 points.
Unfortunately for the 76ers it was not enough to quell the plethora of offensive weapons that the Celtics possess. Double-doubles from Jason Tatum, 11 rebounds and 29 points, and Kristaps Porzingis, 12 rebounds and 23 points, along with 31 points from Jalen Brown were too much for Philadelphia to overcome.
Even with the Celtics shooting an abysmal 5-23 from the three-point line as stated by Porzingis, “Threes were not falling for us but we found different ways of winning,” it was the 64 points in the paint, outscoring Philly by 22 inside, that led the Celtics to victory.
Continually outmatching their opponents in assists, steals and blocks, the Celtics have managed to put a well-developed cohesive basketball team together. and the fact that even with 14 turnovers they were still able to adapt and overcome.
Boston’s nine game winning streak continues to have them holding steady and poised for the second half of the season. Friday Philly hosts the Charlotte Hornets while the Celtics will have the Mavericks coming to the TD Garden.