Too Close — Sixers Take Care of Celtics
Joel Embiid (#21) of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots between Derrick White (#9) and Al Horford (#42) of the Boston Celtics during the second quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on November 08, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
The Sixers held on to a 106-103 win after a massive 13-2 run by the Celtics in the final 2 minutes. This game should have been over when Philly led 104-90 with 1:59 left, but the Philadelphia defense simply collapsed.
Missed opportunities on offense and a collapsing defense are not a recipe to close out a game. The Celtics turned a 14-point deficit into a 3-point game, but luckily Kristaps Porzingas missed an open 3 to tie up the game with 7 seconds left. Joel Embiid obtained the rebound and let Derrick White fly by leading the Sixers to win their revenge game versus the team that eliminated them in the Eastern Conference Semis last year.
The 76ers now have the 1 seed in the East after defeating Boston. This is only Boston’s 2nd loss of the year and they now sit at 5-2. Philadelphia on the other hand now has won 6 in a row and have an impressive 6-1 record.
Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid were the stars tonight for the Sixers. Maxey had another high-scoring performance with 25 points, as well as dishing out 5 assists and snatching 9 boards. He has been looking like a star since he became Embiid’s number 1 sidekick. Joel Embiid had an impressive 27 points along with 10 rebounds. He was a stifling defender against Boston, rejecting their shots 4 times.
The Sixers take on the Pistons on Friday Night in Detroit. This will be the first look at Philadelphia during the inaugural In-Season Tournament. They will look to continue their 6 game-winning streak and take it back home Sunday against Indiana.
