BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 30: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics drives against Robert Covington #33 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the first quarter at TD Garden on November 30, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts.(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The Boston Celtics pulled away in the second half for a 105-87 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.
The Celtics (1-0) have won 15 of their last 17 regular-season meetings with the 76ers (0-1) and last night’s season opener was like déjà vu all over again.
The teams were neck and neck through the first half, but the gap between these two teams looked as wide as ever during the second half. The Celtics took off largely thanks to their bench, who outscored the 76ers 44-26 in the second half.
With point guard Kyrie Irving getting off to a 0-for-8 start, small forward Jayson Tatum was the best player on the floor for Boston. Tatum put up 23 points and nine rebounds on 9-for-17 shooting from the field.
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Boston won despite a lethargic start and rough shooting night, landing just 43 percent (42 of 97) of shots from the field and 30 percent from the 3-point line (11 of 37).
Gordon Hayward and Irving struggled to reach a combined score of 17 points on 6-of-26 shooting.
Marcus Morris added 16 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Power forward Al Horford had nine points and five blocks.
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76ers power forward Joel Embiid and point guard Ben Simmons‘ double-doubles were not enough to win at TD Garden. Embiid led the 76ers with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Simmons finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists.
The 76ers shot only 5-of-26 from behind the 3-point line, allowing the Celtics to send multiple defenders at Simmons and Embiid.
One of the biggest changes for Philadelphia entering the new season is the insertion of second-year guard Markelle Fultz into the starting lineup. Fultz put up five points, three rebounds, and two assists in 25 minutes. He was the No. 1 pick in the 2017 draft but missed 68 games due to a shoulder injury.
Philly needs more shooters, so they’ll need Fultz to be aggressive on offense in the future.
The Celtics will visit the Raptors on Friday. The game will air at 8:00 p.m. EST on NBSB and ESPN from Scotiabank Arena, Canada.
The 76ers will host the Bulls on Thursday. The game will air at 8:00 p.m. EST on TNT from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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