BOSTON _ Kyrie Irving had an answer for everything, and his back-to-back threes in overtime were too much for the Philadelphia 76ers to fight against.
The Sixers fell to the Boston Celtics 121-114 in overtime on Christmas Day at TD Garden despite 34 points from Joel Embiid and 24 from Jimmy Butler, in a thrilling game to the very end.
With under a minute to play in the fourth quarter, Wilson Chandler was alone in the paint with Irving and the Sixers trailing by one point. Chandler, who finished with 15 points, stuck with Irving, forced him into a tough shot, and at the other end Chandler hit a three to take a two-point lead with 36 seconds left in regulation.
Irving came back and hit a deep two to tie things up and send the game into overtime. In the extra period Irving scored six of his game-high 40 points to seal the victory.
The Sixers spent a lot of their time this summer thinking about their second-round playoff loss to the Celtics, and they didn't feel any better when they came to Boston on opening night and were reminded that they had a long way to go before they could battle with the NBA's elite.
"We will learn a lot after tonight's game," coach Brett Brown said before the game started.
By the time the game was over, a lot of things we already knew about the Sixers were on display once again. The Sixers have an inconsistent bench whose players didn't manage to get on the scoreboard until Landry Shamet hit a three-pointer midway through the third quarter.
The Sixers have trouble defending against crafty guards and struggle when switches exploit their weak points and Irving made them pay.
On the other hand, the Sixers also showed off their strongest attributes and proved that they are a little closer to being able to compete than they were before.
Embiid had another impressive first half, posting 19 of his 34 points and showing off his range and skill, hitting from everywhere on the court. The Sixers flexed their defensive muscles in the third quarter, while Jimmy Butler, who was not here on opening night, scored 13 of his 24 points.
Simmons also showed growth and that he can hit a long jumper, sinking a 22-foot turn-around shot late in the game.
Trailing most of the first half, the Sixers took the lead in late in the third but the score toggled back and forth between the teams. In the end, the Sixers weren't able to fight through the last couple of minutes while Irving continued to put on a Christmas Day show.
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