Ben Simmons Leads 76ers Past Kemba Walker, Celtics with Joel Embiid out Injured

Even without Joel Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers continued their dominance at home with a 109-98 win over the Boston Celtics.

Embiid was out with a torn ligament in his hand, but Josh Richardson picked up the slack with a game-high 29 points Thursday as the 76ers improved to 18-2 at Wells Fargo Center this season. The hosts trailed by as many as 15 points early, but the squad grabbed the lead in the second half and pulled away late thanks to some clutch baskets by Ben Simmons.

Philly (25-14) has struggled away from home, but it remains a threat in the Eastern Conference while improving to 3-0 against the Celtics.

Boston (25-11) suffered its third straight loss, a season-high, despite getting 26 points from Kemba Walker.

Notable Stats

• Kemba Walker, G, BOS: 26 points, 10-of-20 FG
• Jayson Tatum, F, BOS: 15 points, 10 rebounds, three steals
• Marcus Smart, G, BOS: 24 points, three steals
• Josh Richardson, G, PHI: 29 points, seven assists
• Ben Simmons, G, PHI: 19 points, nine rebounds, three assists
• Al Horford, C, PHI: 17 points, eight rebounds, six assists, two blocks

Kemba Walker Carries Offense While Others Struggle

The Celtics have had four players capable of carrying the offense this season, but only one of those showed up.

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward combined for 29 points on 10-of-36 shooting (27.8 percent) in a rough day from the starters. The two younger players have especially struggled in the past couple of games.

Fortunately, Kemba Walker kept the team in the game with an outstanding offensive performance from the opening tip.

This was despite suffering a sprained thumb in the second quarter before returning after halftime.

He was efficient, shooting 5-of-11 from three-point range.

The only other player that provided any help was Marcus Smart with 24 off the bench.

Tatum provided help in other areas, but the Celtics will need more offensively from their best players on a consistent basis going forward. 

Balanced Attack Helps Overcome Embiid Injury

Embiid will undergo surgery Friday and will be re-evaluated in one to two weeks, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, meaning the rest of the team will need to step up in his absence.

Josh Richardson is one player who stepped up, scoring 29 on 9-of-16 shooting.

He played more lead guard, totaling seven assists while Simmons was pushed off ball. 

Simmons also had a big night with solid play on both ends.

Perhaps most importantly, the Sixers had a good flow offensively with quick passing and finishing from everyone on the court.

The squad had 24 assists as a team with just 12 turnovers.

There were big question marks both defensively and with the frontcourt depth, but those were eased as Boston was held to under 100 points.

Norvell Pelle saw extra minutes at the 5 and he played well with six points, four rebounds and two blocks. The team will have to make a decision on the two-way player soon or else he will only be a short-term fix.

The team's all-around effort was enough to prove it can be competitive even without its best player.

What's Next?

Both teams have just one day off before their next games. Boston will return home for a matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday. Philadelphia will travel to face the Dallas Mavericks.