By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Philadelphia 76ers stunned the Boston Celtics on the road after pulling off a gutsy 118-114 victory in the ongoing NBA regular season on December 26, 2024.
Fresh off a decisive tight win over Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, the 76ers leaned on Tyrese Maxey’s waxing hot performance and the efficient shooting of their superstar center Joel Embiid to clinch the momentum-boosting dub.
Maxey picked up where he left off and torched the Celtics from the get-go until the final frame while Embiid had a steady night anchoring the paint and dominated in the shaded lane.
It was all Philadelphia in the first three quarters of the game as Maxey was all over the place sinking field goal after field goal. Embiid then picked up where he left off and started to operate midway through the second, attacking their loose interior coverage while also draining face-up perimeter jumpers.
The Celtics gained a new lease on life when the third quarter kicked off after star shooting guard Jaylen Brown put up 16 markers in the period alone, pulling Boston back to the ball game while equipping them with an upgraded level of confidence heading into the fourth.
However, Boston’s plans were spoiled at the start of the final canto when former Miami Heat role player, Caleb Martin, showed shades of his Eastern Conference finals performance at the TD Garden.
Martin took over in the fourth, sinking three clutch treys that ballooned Philadelphia’s lead back to 15 points, forcing Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla to call an emergency timeout.
That pep talk did wonders for the Celtics as they threatened to get back into the ball game by putting their head down with relentless drives against the small-ball lineup of the 76ers inside the court.
When Boston trimmed their deficit to just a single digit, Philadelphia’s mentor Nick Nurse decided to put Embiid and Paul George back, restoring order in the hardwood.
A mini-heart attack was caused by the Celtics after stunning the 76ers with a 15-0 run that pulled them to within three points. Just when Boston thought they already put their imprints on the game, Maxey provided the dagger off a well-designed curl play that freed him up for a layup.
The Celtics scored desperate points with time not on their side anymore, but Embiid sealed the win with two clutch free throws after getting fouled with only two seconds left.
Maxey led the way for Philadelphia and led them with a game-high 33-point performance alongside 12 assists, four rebounds, three steals, and a block.
Embiid was also superb as he backstopped Maxey with an efficient 27-point outing built from 8/15 shooting from the field including a perfect 7/7 trip from the free-throw line.
Martin, who kick-started Philadelphia’s three-point barrage in the fourth, ended up with 23 markers derived from 7/9 shooting from downtown.
On the other hand, the Celtics received 32 points from Jayson Tatum, but the squad missed the presence of their primary defender Jrue Holiday who was sidelined due to a right shoulder impingement.
