The Philadelphia 76ers dropped a 108-100 heartbreaker to the Boston Celtics on Friday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena, putting Philly in a 2-1 hole in the first-round series. Tyrese Maxey led the charge with 31 points to keep the Sixers within striking distance, but Boston's late-game execution, capped by a second‑chance three from Jayson Tatum, ultimately sealed it. Joel Embiid watched from the bench as he continues to recover from an appendectomy.
Bench Battle Tilted the Game
Boston's second unit quietly owned the night. The Celtics bench outscored Philadelphia's 35-14 and knocked down timely threes that kept Boston in control through the fourth quarter, as reported by NBC10 Philadelphia. Payton Pritchard drilled four triples and several role players came up with big shots, creating a cushion the Sixers never really erased.
Maxey Carried the Scoring Load
Maxey poured in 31 points while Paul George added 18 and Kelly Oubre Jr. chipped in 17, but the Sixers struggled to find steady offense beyond that trio, according to CBS Sports. Boston countered with 25-point efforts from both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and Tatum's late second‑chance three effectively decided the outcome.
Center Rotation Under the Microscope
Embiid remained sidelined while recovering from an appendectomy and watched from the bench, as noted by The Philadelphia Inquirer. Coach Nick Nurse turned to Adem Bona and Andre Drummond to soak up minutes in the middle. Bona gave the Sixers an early spark but was hit with his fifth foul in the fourth quarter, and NBC10 Philadelphia noted that the Sixers were outscored by 17 points during Drummond’s 26 minutes on the floor.
What’s on the Line in Game 4
Game 4 is set for Sunday night in Philadelphia, and the Sixers will need much better bench production and cleaner late-game defense to avoid slipping into a deeper series hole, per CBS Sports. Tweaks to the center rotation and more consistent looks for the supporting cast figure to be at the top of Nick Nurse’s to-do list heading into the rematch.
