The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Boston Celtics 118-115 in their final matchup of the regular season. It was a tough contest and the teams traded blows throughout, but the Sixers ultimately prevailed with effective late-game execution.
It is about time. The Philadelphia 76ers finally conquered their Boston demons, at least for one night.
In a game with an intense playoff atmosphere, the Sixers were led by Jimmy Butler‘s clutch playmaking in the final minutes and an onslaught of Joel Embiid free throws.
The Celtics led by eleven points at halftime and were outscored by fourteen throughout the third and fourth quarters.
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Perhaps the highlight of this game occurred early in the third quarter. Embiid flared out his left arm and knocked down Marcus Smart as he was making a defensive cut. As he began walking away towards the perimeter, Smart shoved him from behind in retaliation.
Embiid immediately stood and charged in the direction of Smart where he was held back by Tobias Harris before any further altercation took place.
Joel was charged with a technical foul but Smart was automatically ejected with a flagrant 2.
From that moment on, the game was chippy and a legitimate feeling of a rivalry ensued, albeit one-sided until this game.
The Sixers bench was irrelevant, posting a grand total of eight points and hitting only three field goals. Luckily, Embiid shot 20-21 from the charity stripe on his way to 37 points along with 22 boards. The closer, Jimmy Butler, put the nail in the coffin by knocking down a two-point jumper with just under five seconds left in regulation.
It was just the Sixers’ third win over the Celtics in the last two years, playoffs included.
Despite winning a game that will serve as a big psychological boost, there is a caveat.
The Celtics played without Gordon Hayward who went for 26 points in their last meeting. Aron Baynes left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury, leaving the Celtics without a true rim protector. Marcus Smart was ejected in the third quarter. The Celtics were shorthanded in the second half which certainly played a role in the 14-point swing.
However, injuries happen and nobody forced Smart to shove Embiid from behind.
This lineup is now 7-1 when they all start.
The Sixers will head to Atlanta on Saturday night to battle the Hawks.