Inside The Celtics

Uncharacteristic Celtics' Performance Clinches Season-Series Win vs. 76ers

The Celtics have now gone a full calendar year without a regular season home loss to an Eastern Conference opponent.

Bobby Krivitsky

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

Tuesday night at TD Garden, the Boston Celtics pulled away in the final frame, earning a 117-99 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Not only does the victory clinch the regular season series, which the hosts won 3-1, but it also means they will go over a full calendar year without losing a regular season home game to an Eastern Conference opponent. Their next home contest against an in-conference foe is on Mar. 18 vs. the Detroit Pistons.

On Tuesday, Jaylen Brown generated a team-high 31 points as the C's earned their ninth straight victory. The other half of their All-Star tandem, Jayson Tatum, registered 29, with 15 coming in the fourth quarter. Kristaps Porzingis finished with 23 points, 12 rebounds, the most in the matchup, one steal, and a block.

But this rivalry clash was more competitive than the final score indicates.

The Sixers entered the evening allowing the sixth-fewest threes; they held Boston to 11 attempts from beyond the arc in the first 24 minutes, tied for their season low in a first half. They ended the night with 22, the fewest since Joe Mazzulla became their head coach.

But despite Philadelphia's physicality, switch-heavy defense, and ability to protect the perimeter and repeatedly force dribble drives, the Celtics, who committed nine turnovers in the first half, kept it to five in the second as they figured out how to take what the 76ers gave them, outscoring their visitors 64-48 after intermission.

Now for a deep dive into what stood out as the C's struggled to solve that mystery and the keys to them figuring it out in the second half of a victory that improves their NBA-leading record to 46-12.

Taking advantage of Joel Embiid's absence and the lack of resistance from the backcourt of Buddy Hield and Tyrese Maxey, the Celtics got to the rim consistently in the first frame of Tuesday's rivalry clash.

Boston produced 18 points in the paint in the opening period. The hosts shot 9/12 (75 percent) from inside the arc in the first 12 minutes. There were also easy opportunities in transition, like when a Derrick White block led to a Jrue Holiday layup at the other end, and an Al Horford rejection translated to the 16-year veteran getting a deuce down low.

But while Jayson Tatum put nine points on the board and dished out five assists, and Kristaps Porzingis scored seven, the Celtics' defense wasn't much better than Philadelphia's at protecting the cylinder. 

Led by Tyrese Maxey, who generated 12 points, the visitors matched Boston's 18 points in the paint and its total output, entering the second quarter tied at 30.

Another development from the first frame that stood out was Joe Mazzulla playing Tatum the entire period. The C's bench boss recently stated he wanted to experiment within different pockets of the schedule. Keeping the five-time All-Star on the floor for 12 minutes isn't new, but it's also not the norm.

The hosts continued having success in the paint in the second quarter, manufacturing 16 points inside. Jaylen Brown's assertiveness fueled their attack, and he entered halftime with 18 points, pacing all participants.

However, the three-time All-Star also committed three of Boston's six turnovers. The Celtics had nine giveaways at intermission, which the 76ers parlayed into ten points. They also produced ten on the fast break and got 18 from their bench.

But their ability to protect the perimeter was even more important to the Sixers staying within two, trailing 53-51 at the break. They entered the evening having allowed the sixth-fewest threes per game. Philadelphia held the hosts to 2/11 (18.2 percent) from beyond the arc in the initial 24 minutes, matching their season low for first-half threes attempted. Boston went 0/2 from three-point range in the second frame.

While this battle between rivals remained close, Kristaps Porzingis was at the center of the C's' building a double-digit advantage entering the fourth quarter.

The Latvian native generated 12 points, with eight coming at the free-throw line. His aggressive play and ability to punish switches also led to a put-back slam and a dunk after he curled off a pin-down from Tatum.

With the hosts faring 13/14 at the line and limiting the giveaways to three, they held an 86-75 edge with 12 minutes left.

But Philadelphia got hot from behind the arc to start the final frame, drilling three straight triples, which came off a Boston make, miss, and a scramble for the ball. That fueled a 14-5 run to pull within two.

The Celtics struck back, staging a 14-0 response, built on stops, increased physicality offensively, and better spacing, helping them play up-tempo, take care of the ball, and produce points in the paint and at the free-throw line.

That allowed them to grow their lead to 107-89 with four minutes left. A thunderous throwdown by Tatum on the heels of that burst put a bow on a 117-99 victory that clinches the season series, which the C's won 3-1.

The Celtics are on to a Friday night matchup against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. That game will tip off at 7:30 EST at TD Garden.

Further Reading

Jaylen Brown's Evolution Crucial to Celtics' Desire to Win with More Than Talent

Celtics Embracing Challenge to Go Beyond Most Talented

Jayson Tatum Opens Up About Sacrificing in Celtics' Title Pursuit: 'It's a Process'

Kristaps Porzingis Shares How First Season with Celtics Compares to His Expectations: 'Haven't Stopped Smiling'

Jayson Tatum's Approach vs. Nets Tale of Two Halves and Steadfast Commitment

Brad Stevens Discusses Celtics' Plan for Final Roster Spot

Marcus Smart Shares How Boston Shaped Him, His Message to Celtics Fans

Celtics Maturation Molded by Experience: 'It Builds, Like, an Armor'

Jaylen Brown Quieting Doubters, Validating What He Always Believed: 'Earn Everybody's Trust'

Joe Mazzulla Discusses Identity, Evolution of Celtics' Offense: 'Balance of Pace and Execution'

Published
Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

Home/Analysis