Celtics defeat Philadelphia 76ers 81-65 in an ugly game, move to 6-1 in preseason
17 Celtics hit the hardwood en route to an ugly 81-65 over the Philadelphia 76ers in the last preseason game of 2015.
Boston was led by Marcus Smart and Jordan Mickey who finished with 10 points each. Jared Sullinger led the team in rebounds with 14, and Isaiah Thomas finished with the most assists in the game with 6.
First Quarter
The first quarter started off sloppy. The two teams combined for five turnovers and three fouls before the first field goal was even recorded. JaKarr Sampson started off the scoring by hitting one free throw in the first minute. That would be the only time the Sixers led in the ball game. Avery Bradley started off the scoring for the C's with a fastbreak layup after poking the ball lose and then the Celtics were off to the races. Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder, who played only in the first quarter, combined to go 4-for-5 from the floor and were stalwarts on defense, racking up five steals. The Celtics finished the quarter up 24-17.
Second Quarter
After a strong first quarter, the Celtics could not find their shot in the second. Evan Turner shouldered most of the scoring load in the early minutes of the second by nailing a few jumpers and getting an and-one call after goaltending by Philly's Nerlens Noel. Turner would finish with 9 points. After Turner, though, the rest of the team combined for only six field goals in the second, finishing the quarter 6-for-21 from the floor. Isaiah Thomas shot 2-for-9 in the second as well. Due to the poor shooting, the Sixers were able to claw their way back with a 13-4 run, but a layup in the lane by Thomas in the last minute would give the C's a three point lead heading into halftime, 43-40.
Third Quarter
The Celtics shooting woes continued into the third, Thomas couldn't change his luck, going 1-for-8 in the quarter. Isaiah finished the night with 3-for-17 shooting and an 0-for-5 mark from deep. Amir Johnson would open up the scoring the second half with a strong throwdown assisted by Sullinger. Then, Smart would add to his total of 10 by draining a three about 4 1/2 minutes into the third. The rookies also surged in the end of the third with RJ Hunter and Terry Rozier each scoring to end the quarter giving the Celtics a 10 point lead heading into the final frame.
Fourth Quarter
The fourth was Jordan Mickey's quarter. Getting his first minutes in the fourth, Mickey quickly got in the scoring column by putting in two baskets to open up the period which extended the lead to 14. Mickey's 8 points in the fourth helped secure the victory over the Sixers. Perry Jones III and James Young each nailed a three in otherwise forgettable nights for the two.
Game notes
- Perry Jones III continued to have a lackluster preseason. Racking up two fouls before recording a basket, and finishing with 3 points in 13 minutes was not what the forward needed to secure his spot on the roster.
- James Young also struggled mightily. The guard was trigger happy and threw up six attempts from deep, hitting only one of them. He finished the night 1-for-12.
- Mickey finished the night with 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steal, and 1 assist in 12 minutes. He also shot 5-for-7 from the floor, only missing on an attempted putback and a deep mid range jumper.
- Amir Johnson had another strong outing, pounding the glass by grabbing 13 of Boston's 67 rebounds to go with his 8 points and 2 blocks.
- The team shot 35-for-100 from the floor, or an even 35%, and an abysmal 6-for-28 from three-point land. Not to mention, 5-for-12 from the charity stripe. After a promising preseason from outside the arc, the Celtics fell back to reality against Philadelphia.
- Boston didn't attempt a single free throw in the second half.
Topher Lane is on Twitter, @Topher_L Photo Cred: Charles Krupa/AP Photo
