The Celtics rallied without All-Star Jayson Tatum in the fourth quarter, pulling out a 125-119 victory over the shorthanded 76ers despite Tatum’s ejection in the third quarter.
Boston lost Tatum to an ejection at the end of the third period and had to rally past a feisty Sixers squad that was playing without Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey due to illness. Derrick White led six different Celtics that finished in double figures with 21 points including Sam Hauser off the bench. Patrick Beverley had a game-high 26 points for the Sixers in the loss as seven different Philadelphia players also scored in double figures in the balanced effort.
Boston improved to 9-0 at home with the victory. They will next face off with the Pacers on Monday in the quarterfinals of the in-season tournament. Here are four takeaways from the Celtics win:
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Jayson Tatum ejected in third quarter: The Celtics All-Star was struggling through a night of mistakes, piling up seven turnovers in his first 27 minutes when his frustration got the best of him. Tatum took issue with a no call in the closing seconds of the third quarter after he appeared to be fouled while being stripped. He was whistled for the loose ball foul on the ensuing scramble and then was given his second technical foul after a lengthy exchange with the officials. He finished with 21 points in 27 minutes but left the Celtic without their top scorer for the final 12 minutes after earning
Celtics defense no-shows in the first half: Boston has a history of letting their guard down when opponents’ stars are out of the lineup. That trend continued with Embiid and Maxey being late scratches for the 76ers, making Boston double digit favorites for the matchup. However, Boston’s top-5 level defense did not make an appearance in the opening 24 minutes as three fill-in Sixers starters scored in double digits and helped Philadelphia run up 72 first half points in one of Boston’s worst defensive halves of the year. Some of the makes were due to great shooting luck (Philadelphia shot 52 percent from 3 before intermission) but the Celtics struggled mightily containing the likes of Patrick Beverley and De’Anthony Melton at the point of attack. Whether it was a lack of focus or execution, it was an underwhelming outing early before Boston tightened things up in the fourth quarter.
Celtics offense thrives despite turnover issues: Boston posted their fourth 40-point quarter of the year in the first quarter while shooting a sensational 70 percent from the field and 72 percent from 3-point range. With no rim protection in the lineup for Philadelphia, Boston put together a perfect shot profile, alternating between attacking the rim and finding open 3s on the perimeter. Boston’s offense would have likely done more damage if not for an ugly 11 turnovers in the first half with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown serving as the main offenders. The Celtics finished the game with 123 points despite piling up 20 turnovers as a team.
Payton Pritchard fuels fourth quarter rally: The reserve point guard finished with a team-high 10 points in the fourth quarter, helping the Celtics climb out of an offensive slump in the third quarter and retake control of the game. Pritchard also finished with five assists in his 23 minutes, giving Boston some steady play at the position despite a myriad of turnovers by his teammates throughout the contest.
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