Joel Embiid Leads 76ers to Narrow Win vs. Kemba Walker, Celtics
Every game takes on additional importance in the shortened 2020-21 campaign, and the Philadelphia 76ers earned a notable win over their Eastern Conference rivals on Wednesday.
Philadelphia defeated the Boston Celtics 117-109 at Wells Fargo Center and improved to 10-5 on the season. Joel Embiid was spectacular and led the way for the 76ers, who are now 3-1 in their last four games following a three-game losing streak.
Boston is now 8-5 and has lost two in a row despite a solid showing from Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Daniel Theis and Kemba Walker.
Notable Player Stats
- Joel Embiid, C, PHI: 42 PTS, 10 REB, 2 STL
- Tobias Harris, F, PHI: 22 PTS, 5 AST, 3 REB, 2 STL
- Jaylen Brown, G, BOS: 26 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST
- Marcus Smart, G, BOS: 25 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST
- Daniel Theis, C, BOS: 23 PTS, 10 REB
- Kemba Walker, G, BOS: 19 PTS, 6 AST, 5-of-9 3PT
Joel Embiid Too Much for Celtics in Brilliant Showing
Boston has the wings and guards to match up with almost anyone in the NBA at full strength, but its frontcourt leaves something to be desired comparatively. That's on full display against the 76ers considering Embiid is playing at an MVP level and is nearly impossible to stop for even the league's best bigs.
He wasted no time Wednesday showing off the versatility that makes him such a matchup problem with a flurry of outside shots and post moves on his way to 22 first-half points.
The Celtics had no real answer when Philadelphia ran its offense through Embiid, so Ben Simmons and others took a step back and let the big man go to work in the potential playoff preview.
Embiid's scoring also came at an efficient clip thanks to his ability to get to the free-throw line, which helped the 76ers counter the Brown-Smart combination and stay within striking distance.
Still, Philadelphia was in comeback mode heading into the fourth quarter in large part because it didn't have enough complementary firepower during the middle portion of the game. Tobias Harris looked to change that by attacking the lane and facilitating some, which set the stage for a dramatic finish.
Only one side had Embiid, though.
Boston couldn't stop him without fouling or doubling him, which meant easy points for him at the line and open looks for his teammates. Harris and Shake Milton took advantage of those openings by attacking the rim, and Philadelphia won the fourth quarter by 14 to take away some of the drama.
Four-Man Attack Not Enough for Boston
It is a testament to the Celtics' depth that they're battling for the top spot in the Eastern Conference while working through some attrition from their top playmakers.
Wednesday was Walker's second game of the season, and Jayson Tatum has been out since Jan. 8 due to the NBA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols. That has put much of the onus on Brown, and he has responded by putting up career-high scoring totals while aggressively seeking his shot as the go-to option.
It was more of the same for Brown out of the gates as the two teams traded the lead, but Walker's progress was surely the most encouraging sign for the visitors.
The UConn product had only nine points on 3-of-13 shooting in his first game of the season—Sunday's loss to the New York Knicks—but he caught fire Wednesday and drilled five triples in the first half alone. Walker provided a much-needed scoring boost as the Celtics look to replace Tatum's production and had no trouble taking advantage of the spacing when Philadelphia collapsed on Brown.
Walker started the second half on the bench because of his minutes restriction, so Smart played the role of secondary scorer alongside Brown as Boston extended its advantage to six heading to the fourth.
Still, every offensive possession in crunch time felt like it came with a sense of urgency for the Celtics because they had no counter for Embiid. Even with Theis providing a boost off the bench alongside the Brown, Walker and Smart trio, they slipped further behind whenever they failed to score.
It also didn't help that no other Celtic scored more than five, which wasn't enough to overcome Embiid's brilliance.
What's Next?
These two teams play again on Friday in Philadelphia.
