Kyrie Irving Drops 36 Points in Celtics Win vs. 76ers

Kyrie Irving scored 36 points to lift the Boston Celtics to a 108-97 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night at TD Garden.

Philadelphia shot 16-of-32 from three-point range, but with Joel Embiid out on the second day of a back-to-back, it didn't have enough offense to keep up.

Boston avoided a second straight home loss and improved to 19-4 to keep the best record in the NBA. The Sixers remained in good position in the East with a 12-9 record.

While the contest was close from start to finish, Boston remained in front most of the night thanks to Irving. 

The point guard scored 11 points in the first quarter and had 20 by halftime to lead his team to a 54-44 advantage:

As Tom Westerholm of MassLive noted, he wasn't trying to do everything himself:

His efficiency was noticeable as he took just 21 shots from the field, finishing 5-of-8 from three-point range and 7-of-8 from the line.

The Sixers fought back in the third and briefly took the lead, but Irving kept coming with impressive finishes from everywhere on the court:

The Celtics moved to 5-0 in games the point guard has scored at least 30 points.

Al Horford added 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two blocks, and it became a relatively easy finish over what has become a tough 76ers team.

Ben Simmons was the biggest name in the lineup for the visitors with Embiid out, and he showed his ability to fill up the stat sheet with 15 points, seven assists, six rebounds and five steals.

He showcased his rare talent on both ends of the court:

There was plenty of help around him with six Philly players finishing in double figures, led by Dario Saric's 18 points and 10 rebounds. Four guys hit at least three shots from behind the arc in an impressive display from the perimeter.

However, it wasn't enough. as no one could stop Irving.

Philadelphia will kick off a three-game homestand with a matchup against the Pistons on Saturday, with intriguing battles against the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers also on the schedule. Boston will remain home and face the Suns on Saturday.