PHILADELPHIA _ Fans of the 76ers might want to stop trusting the process. The team will tell you it's on to the next stage of rebuilding.
This season, the Sixers' slogan is "Welcome To The Moment."
And, oh, it was nearly a memorable moment Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
Fans were tailgating in the parking lot four hours before the game. A sold-out crowd of 20,816 provided a playoff-type atmosphere inside the building.
But just like in the previous three seasons, the Sixers suffered a home-opening loss. This time, it was a 102-92 decision to the undermanned Boston Celtics.
The Sixers (0-2) were competitive, but were ultimately doomed by bad shot selection. They were also hurt by an inability to stop Celtics reserve guard Shane Larkin, who scored eight of his 10 points in the fourth quarter.
"I feel like the endurance that we've all gone through to look at just a snapshot of what can be, there is a tiny element of satisfaction that we all should have," said Sixers coach Brett Brown, who suffered through a 75-253 record the previous four seasons. "But it's completely tempered with the reality that there is way more to do _ way more to do."
The coach, however, said it's good to see the Sixers' fan base loud and proud.
On this night, Joel Embiid had one his worst shooting performances. The center finished with 11 points, a game-high 14 rebounds and two blocks. But he made just 4 of 16 shots, while missing all six of his 3-pointers. Embiid missed his first eight field goals _ five were 3-pointers � before scoring a layup with 4 minutes, 35 seconds left in the third quarter.
He played 28 minutes, 2 seconds in his home game since Jan. 27 due to a torn meniscus in his left knee. He won't play in Saturday's game against the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre. He has yet to be cleared to play game on back-to-back nights.
But on Friday, guards J.J. Redick, Jerryd Bayless, and Ben Simmons picked up the slack.
Redick finished with a team-high 19 points. Bayless added 18, while Simmons finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.
Meanwhile, the Celtics (1-2) avoided remaining winless through three games for the first time since the 2013-14 season. Back then, Boston lost the first four games of the season.
Kyrie Irving finished with a game-high 21 points. Al Horford had 17 points and nine rebounds.
Boston recorded this win on the road without the services of Gordon Hayward (fractured left ankle), Marcus Morris (sore left knee) and Marcus Smart (sprained left ankle)
On this night, the crowd definitely gave the Sixers a lot of support. They chanted "Trust The Process" when Embiid was at the foul line and before he scored his first basket. They booed the Celtics and even chanted "ref you suck" whenever there was a controversial call.
And who can forget the tailgate?
"I saw that," Embiid said. "I was like what is this, a football game? I was surprised by that.
"But once again, I love it. That means we got something going. We just got to keep on going and win some games."
The odds are against them Saturday without Embid.
His not playing against the Raptors isn't surprising, though. He did not participate in the second half of back-to-back games last season in order to reduce risk of injury. Embiid missed most of the offseason recovering from his meniscus surgery.
He does think he's ready to play on consecutive nights.
"But in the NBA, I never played in back to backs so I can't really say," he said.
Embiid said he'll play in both games of some of the Sixers' 14 back-to-back situations. He's just not sure when.
Playing in back to backs is an important benchmark for franchise player.
"I just want to feel like an NBA player," he said. "I feel like I'm not an NBA player because I don't play back to backs"
