Sixers Fall to Celtics in Hard-Fought Matchup

Philadelphia fell to Boston on Friday Night in a game that may have been credited as a loss to the record, it was a hard-fought game that helped prove that the bench depth is no joke. A 125-119 loss to one of the best teams in the NBA without many of your best players is all you can really ask for. This game proves that the Sixers are fighters and aren’t afraid of great teams, even without their best players.

Unfortunately, This loss helped Boston have a bit more breathing room for the 1 seed. Philly is still the 4 seed and will hope to get back on track next Wednesday.

The Sixers may have lost this game, but it wasn’t necessarily due to bad play. It was due to a lack of star power, as Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid were both out. They really missed their presence as Maxey and Embiid average a combined 59 points per game. Patrick Beverley and Robert Covington did their best to fill the dynamic duo’s shoes. Beverley led the game in scoring and tied his career-high, scoring 26. He did this while also grabbing 8 rebounds and assisting for 7. He took full advantage of the extra minutes he received and played great. Robert Covington scored 18 points off the bench, but the more impressive stat is the 5 steals he had. 5 steals off the bench is incredible and doesn’t get enough praise. This is an insane feat that not many people can achieve.

Although the Sixers were without Embiid or Maxey, the Celtics were without Tatum for the entire 4th quarter due to his ejection. This game really should have been closed out by the Sixers, but a late missed step-back three by Beverley put the icing on the cake for a Boston win. The Celtics were very well rounded when it came to scoring as 7 of their 10 players who played had at least 10 points. The Sixers missed out on the defense from Embiid and it really showed. When he comes back this will be a different story.

The Sixers now take a 4-day break and play the Wizards on Wednesday. This will be the 2nd matchup between Jordan Poole’s Washington and Philadelphia and the Sixers will want to take a 2-0 season series lead.