Embiid once again powers Sixers over Celtics

Earlier this week, Tobias Harris said something the Celtics should especially understand, when he called Sixers teammate Joel Embiid “MVP-caliber.”

But the Celtics had no choice in their second straight game attempting to get between Embiid and the basket. They just had to make their double-teams that much more effective, and somehow foul less.

For the most part they were better, too, “limiting” Embiid to 38 points. But instead of the Celtics filling that gap, Ben Simmons came alive down the stretch of the Celtics’ 122-110 loss to Philadelphia.

It not only was the Celtics’ third straight loss, but enabled Philadelphia to knock the C’s out of first place in the Eastern Conference.

Thus wasted was a 42-point performance by Jaylen Brown, who tied his career scoring high.

The Celtics were stunned early by the first-quarter departure of rookie Payton Pritchard, who was helped off the floor after spraining his right knee. Tests will give a clearer picture of the injury, though the initial sight of Pritchard on the floor, holding his knee, was not a good one.

Marcus Smart’s floater with 6:28 left not only extended a Celtics’ run to 7-0 — it cut what had been an 11-point Philadelphia lead to 101-96. Brown kicked off the burst with his fourth 3-pointer of the night.

Two empty Sixers’ possessions later — the second with Tristan Thompson blocking Seth Curry — Brown was fouled off the break and hit the second of two free throws.

Kemba Walker checked back into the game with 5:09 left and the Celtics trailing by four, until Simmons scored off a tip-in. Brown buried his fifth 3-pointer of the night, but Simmons came back with a three-point play off the break for a 106-100 Philly lead.

Simmons then picked off a Walker pass and dunked for a 108-100 edge with 4:18 left. Thompson missed and Simmons kicked out to assist on a Harris 3-pointer. Simmons continued his roll, this time with a drive for a 113-100 lead heading into the last three minutes.

Philadelphia, despite lacking a foul-saddled Embiid, closed out the third quarter strong for a 91-80 lead. Matisse Thybulle opened the fourth from downtown for a 14-point lead, and with Walker on the floor in place of Brown, and Embiid still on the bench, Semi Ojeleye checked in just on time to bury a 3-pointer, cutting the Philly lead to 94-85 with 10:04 left.

But Furkan Korkmaz answered from downtown for an eight-point lead, Thompson scored off a tip-in and Embiid, back in the game, hit from 18 feet for his 29th point and, following a Brown transition drive, posted up Thompson.

Brown hit from downtown, Javonte Green dunked after stealing an Embiid pass, and with 6:28 left, Smart drove to score off a floater.

Brown, whose 3-pointer staked the Celtics to a 52-49 halftime lead, had 17 points and three 3-pointers at the break, to go along with another 11 points on 5-for-9 shooting from Walker.

The Celtics were much more successful defending Embiid the second time around, with the Philly center picking up three fouls — two in the offensive end. He had 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting at the break, but this time with only four attempted free throws.

Embiid also opened Philly’s scoring in the third with a 3-pointer, starting a quick 5-0 run for a brief one-point lead, but the Celtics returned to what had worked earlier — doubling Embiid in the paint and not backing down once he attempted to power his way to the rim.

But even when Embiid got a call, Brown was there to answer, going on a one-man 5-0 run at one stage for a 69-63 lead.

The Sixers had moved up by four points when Embiid picked up his fourth foul on a Brown drive for a three-point play. But Philly managed to hold onto its narrow lead, putting on a late run to close out the quarter with a 91-80 lead.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3sMP4bz