EL NUEVO DIARIO, BOSTON, USA – The Boston Celtics won 125-119 on Friday in a game suffered by the Philadelphia 76ers, reduced by the losses of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey but who gave a fierce battle to the leader of the East , the local press reported this Saturday.
The Celtics (15-4), who remain undefeated at home after nine games, received the Sixers (12-7) in a draw due to the absence of Embiid and Maxey due to illness and Nico Batum due to injury.
With all this, it seemed that those in green were going to go for a walk without major problems, but they ended up getting tangled in a thorny encounter with some very rebellious and quarrelsome Sixers. Additionally, Jayson Tatum was ejected in the third quarter for a double technical after protesting to the referees.
Four Celtics players scored 20 or more points: Tatum and Derrick White with 21 and Jaylen Brown and Al Horford with 20. Kristaps Porzingis was once again absent for Boston.
In the Sixers, in which De’Anthony Melton was sent off for fouls, the top scorer was Patrick Beverley with a great performance of 26 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Melton also stood out with 21 points and Robert Covington with 18 within a very choral block with seven of their nine players in double figures.
The Sixers sell their defeat dearly
The game began with both teams gritting their teeth, with two consecutive triples by Horford and three baskets by Tobias Harris (18-18).
In the middle of the opening quarter, the locals began to establish a timid lead that they maintained until closing the period with a 44-36. Tatum and Beverley arrived with 9 points each in the second chapter.
The Sixers organized themselves and Melton, from three-point range, tied the game at 49 with nine minutes left in the break. Shortly after, Harris assisted Paul Reed for a dunk and Nick Nurse’s team took the lead (52-53).
The visitors’ resistance caught the Celtics off guard, and they went into halftime down after a triple by Marcus Morris that closed a great first half for the Sixers (69-72).
At the restart, the Celtics reacted thanks to Tatum, who balanced the score again (77-77 with 9.16 on the clock).
Brown allowed the home team to take control of the game again, but the Sixers did not give up with Mo Bamba contributing 8 points in that quarter from the bench.
The end of the third period was a disaster for the Celtics, who lost Tatum for two technicals for protesting the referees and who also went into the last twelve minutes at a disadvantage (95-97) after a triple by Melton and three free throws followed by Covington.
In the last quarter, the Celtics had 10 points from a key Payton Pritchard to finally defeat some very deserving Sixers who continued to have options in the outcome thanks to Beverley.
With 2.28 to go, the Sixers led 115-116, but the effectiveness of the free throws, Horford’s experience and Philadelphia’s mistakes in the last attacks left Boston with the victory after a game with a thousand and one dangers.
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2023-12-03 02:41:36
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