The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the visiting Boston Celtics, 118-115, at Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday evening.
The Celtics got out to a good start at home, with a 39-30 lead after one quarter. They stayed in control and pushed their lead to 15, mid way through the second, before they settled on an 11-point lead by halftime. The 76ers came out stronger in the third and managed to tie the score at 82, with four minutes left in the quarter. However, the Celtics rallied to take a five-point lead by the end of the quarter. They quickly pushed their lead to nine, early in the fourth, but the Sixers kept fighting and overtook the lead, 109-07, with three minutes to go. The Celtics were scrambling and managed to tie it up one more time, nonetheless, they could not claim and advantage, as the 76ers came up clutch down the stretch, to earn their sixth straight win.
Joel Embiid led the Sixers with 37 points, 22 rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block, in 41 minutes. Jimmy Butler followed up with 22 points, four rebounds, and two assists, while Tobias Harris tallied 21 points, eight rebounds and three assists. The 76ers shot 38 percent from the field, including 11-of-33 from deep.
Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving led the Celtics with 36 points, nine rebounds, four assists and a block, in 35 minutes. Al Horford added 22 points, six rebounds, five assists and a steal, while Terry Rozier chipped in 20 points, six rebounds and one assist, off the bench. The Celtics shot 47 percent from the field, including 12-of-32 from long range.
The Celtics (43-29) will look to bounce back as they take on the Hornets in Charlotte on Saturday. The 76ers (47-25) take on the Hawks in Atlanta, on Saturday.
