Sixers Hammer Celtics Behind Evan Turner's Breakout Game

Heading into Wednesday night's matchup with the Boston Celtics, fans were beginning to doubt the 76ers legitimacy.

After two consecutive losses to the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks, the Sixers offense appeared to be hitting a wall.

They posed no consistent scoring threat other than sixth-man of the year candidate Louis Williams, and they lacked a consistent scoring presence in the clutch.

Perhaps Wednesday night's drubbing of the Celtics was exactly what the Sixers needed to discover that the best scoring option they could find was sitting on their bench all along.

After starting his first game of the season on Monday night against the Bucks, Evan Turner's hopes of becoming a mainstay in Doug Collins' starting lineup looked bleak.

Turner converted on just 1-of-12 shots from the field and showed no range on his jump shots.

That all changed in a crucial showdown of Atlantic Division rivals.

Vying for the top spot in the division, the Celtics had been rolling as of late, entering Wednesday night's tilt at the Wells Fargo Center on a five game winning streak. 

Apparently the fatigue of playing five games in eight nights—including two overtime contests—had taken a toll on an aging Boston squad.

On this night, the Sixers started fast and never looked back, cruising to a 103-71 victory.

Evan Turner played the entirety of the first quarter, scoring 10 points and grabbing six rebounds in the process.

Elton Brand also got off to a quick start, finishing with 18 points on 8-10 shooting. Brand has looked fresh since the All-Star break, playing extended minutes and fighting for rebounds on every possession.

Holding the Celtics to just 33 first half points the Sixers took a 22 point lead into halftime, a lead they would never come close to surrendering.

The strong team defense and versatile bench that the Sixers have boasted all year long was ultimately the key to victory in this one.

However, Turner will be grabbing all of the headlines.

Turner finished with a career-high 26 points (on 11-of-19 shooting) and finished one rebound shy of a double-double.

Turner has been hammered by both the fans and the media for his erratic and inconsistent play, failing to find minutes in Doug Collins' generous rotation.

However, after tonight's showing, Turner is looking at a permanent role in the starting five.

Turner's versatility on the defensive end makes him an invaluable piece of this team, as he's able to defend elite shooting guards that Jodie Meeks could not, and his athleticism allows him to crash the boards in ways the 6'4'' Meeks failed to.

Given the opportunity, Turner can become a franchise player as he begins to mesh with the solid young core the Sixers have put together—a core that could become a staple of the Eastern Conference for years to come.