The Boston Celtics fell to the Philadelphia 76ers Sunday afternoon 116-115 after a strong attempt at a comeback. Boston trailed by as many as 16 late in the third in a game where the Celtics’ defense couldn’t keep up with explosive performances from James Harden and Joel Embiid. Tighter defense saw Boston erase Philly’s lead, but the Celtics couldn’t secure the win.
Harden had 42 points to go with 8 rebounds and 9 assists, including a shot to force overtime and a bigger one to ice the game for Philly. Embiid was also very good, contributing 34 points and 13 boards. For Boston, it was Al Horford’s defense and Jayson Tatum’s offense that spurred the would-be comeback, but the Sixers were just a bit better.
