Jayson Tatum, Celtics Rout Joel Embiid, 76ers as Kemba Walker Sits with Injury

The Boston Celtics figured out the Philadelphia 76ers for the first time this year.

Boston avoided a four-game season sweep at the hands of its Eastern Conference rival with a 116-95 victory Saturday at TD Garden. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown led the way in Kemba Walker's absence, helping their team improve to 33-15 with a third consecutive win.

The 76ers have lost two in a row and fell to 31-19.

Notable Player Stats

• BOS F Jayson Tatum: 25 points, four assists and three rebounds
• BOS G Jaylen Brown: 32 points, nine rebounds and two steals
• BOS G Marcus Smart: 16 points, four assists, four rebounds and two steals
• BOS G Brad Wanamaker: 15 points, three assists and two steals
• PHI G Ben Simmons: 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists
• PHI C Joel Embiid: 11 points and five rebounds

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown Dominate Without Kemba

Boston likely won't emerge from the Eastern Conference playoffs without running into the 76ers at some point, and Saturday represented an opportunity to prove it can figure out its rival.

However, Walker (knee) and Enes Kanter (hip) were both sidelined, and missing one's All-Star point guard and leading rebounder isn't the best formula for ending a losing streak to Philadelphia.

Enter Brown and Tatum.

Tatum set the tone in the first quarter by blowing past Ben Simmons and slamming over Al Horford. The Celtics were largely in control from there, and Brown mixed in his own highlight slam in the third quarter when Joel Embiid was too late to challenge at the rim.

Both wings put consistent pressure on Philadelphia's defense by attacking the rim, and Brown made up for his outside shooting (1-of-10 from deep) by battling on the boards—to account for the loss of Kanter—and hitting from mid-range.

Tatum's feathery touch was also on display—never more so than when he drilled a key three-pointer over the outstretched arm of Embiid to stop Philadelphia's brief fourth-quarter momentum spurt.

The duo drew the majority of the defensive attention, which Marcus Smart took advantage of as a secondary scorer by darting through the lane and playing with the hard-nosed approach that has defined his game. Brad Wanamaker also mixed in multiple dunks—one of which came right in front of a chasing Embiid—in an impressive performance.

Saturday was all about the two wings, though, and they proved they can anchor the team even with Walker out.

Joel Embiid Shell of Himself in Defeat

Saturday was Embiid's third game back after he missed nine contests with a hand injury, and he found himself in early foul trouble as his team fell behind.

It was notable the 76ers started battling back some when he went to the bench since they were 6-3 in his absence. Simmons was a force during that stretch as a double-double machine who could attack the basket and score himself or set up his teammates without the big man there clogging the lane.

Still, the key for Philadelphia to compete both this season and in the immediate future is for its two franchise cornerstones to consistently produce alongside each other even with a lack of consistent outside shooting.

The 76ers looked like anything but a contender with two unstoppable superstars Saturday, as Embiid struggled on his way to an ugly 1-of-11 night from the field with four turnovers. He was also slow in his defensive rotation and finished at a minus-25, while Simmons appeared to have more freedom of movement as a creator when he was on the court without the big man.

It didn't make it easier on the two stars that the visitors as a whole were just 7-of-33 (21.2 percent) from three-point range, which allowed the Celtics to pack the lane and cut off penetration and Embiid's looks in the paint.

With Kawhi Leonard no longer in the Eastern Conference after he and the Toronto Raptors eliminated the 76ers last season, Philadelphia figured to emerge as the biggest challengers to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. Instead, it has stalled through bouts of inconsistency and is looking up at five other teams from the No. 6 seed.

Simmons and Embiid give the 76ers one of the league's highest ceilings, but that ceiling is limited if the big man plays like he did Saturday.

What's Next? 

Both teams are on the road Monday when the 76ers face the Miami Heat and the Celtics play the Atlanta Hawks.