PHILADELPHIA, PA — In their final game of a three-game homestand, the Philadelphia 76ers welcomed the Boston Celtics into town for what would already be the third matchup between the division rivals in their first 11 games. The Sixers would be without Joel Embiid, who began to feel soreness in his right knee earlier in the day. Without Embiid, it was up to Tyrese Maxey, Quentin Grimes, and Andre Drummond, who got the start in place of Embiid, to lead the way.
The first half came and went as well as Philadelphia could have expected, as they were once again without both Embiid and Paul George. Andre Drummond continued his renaissance, scoring 10 first-half points along with seven rebounds. The Sixers were also helped by nine points off the bench from hometown wing Justin Edwards, who was a perfect three for three from range, but that was only the beginning of his impressive evening.
Once the game reached its third quarter, the Sixers were helpless against the Celtics, who, if it were not for a last-second Quentin Grimes heave for three, would have dominated the quarter 36-17, nearly a 20-point margin.
The Sixers would come rolling back in the fourth quarter, largely thanks to the continued efforts of Justin Edward, who continued to knock down shot after shot before winding up with 22 points on a perfect 8-8 night of shooting with just under five minutes to play.
As the final minutes of the game approached, the Sixers found themselves in a defensive battle against the Celtics, something that has not exactly proven to be their strength this season. However, the team's resilience was as present as ever, stopping Boston at every turn, and ultimately securing a two-point win by a final score of 102-100 thanks to a tip-in by Kelly Oubre.
Philadelphia will travel to Detroit to face the Pistons in a Friday night NBA Cup matchup. With their most recent loss to Cade Cunningham and company still fresh, the Sixers will look to get some much-needed revenge against one of the best in the East.
