The Boston Celtics lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 118-115 on Wednesday, as All-Star center Joel Embiid paced the 76ers with 37 points and 22 rebounds and had a key block against Celtics superstar Kyrie Irving in the waning seconds of the game. Of the block, Embiid would say “this is why I am the best defensive player in the league.”
76ers forward Jimmy Butler, who scored 22 points on Wednesday night, hit the game-sealing shot for Philadelphia, putting them up five points with just 4.7 seconds left on the clock.
Irving led Boston with 36 points, adding nine rebounds and four assists while star center Al Horford (22 points, five assists) and point guard Terry Rozier (20 points, 4-8 from three-point range) also played well for the Celtics.
Though Boston held the lead for much of the game, with Horford bullying the 76ers down low, Irving constantly penetrating the lane and Rozier lighting them up from behind the arc, the energy in Wells Fargo would shift in Philadelphia’s favor after Celtics shooting guard Marcus Smart and Embiid got into altercation that would lead to Smart’s ejection.
That the 76ers defeated Boston after shooting just 37.8 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three speaks to Embiid’s ability to get to the line, where he knocked down a career-high 20 free-throws on 21 attempts. Philadelphia would have 46 free-throws compared to the Celtics 16.
However, as Boston is more of a jump shooting team than the 76ers, it stands to reason that Philadelphia would get to the line more.
Next up for the Celtics is a matchup against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday, at Spectrum Center. Boston will try to avoid losing three straight games as they take on Kemba Walker’s squad in what should be a favorable matchup for the Celtics, especially if forward Gordon Hayward– who is in the NBA’s Concussion Protocol — is cleared to return to the court.
