The Celtics completed the greatest return of the era of Joe Mazzulla on Sunday night, surprising the philadelphia 76ers in a 118-110 victory.
Boston played one of his worst first halves of the season and lost up to 26 points at the end of the third quarter, but the Mazzulla club beat Philadelphia 38-16 during a fourth dominant quarter.
The 26 -point return matched the largest for any NBA team this season. The Celtics had not exceeded such a significant deficit since it came from 32 points to defeat San Antonio on April 30, 2021.
“He was proud to train them in this game,” Mazzulla told journalists at his press conference after the game.
Jayson Tatum fed the Celtics rally, ending with 35 points in 13 of 20 shots (5 by 8 in attempts of 3 points), 11 assists of the season and seven rebounds. Jaylen Brown scored 21 points, 10 boards and six assistants. Kristaps Porzingis scored 18 points and blocked five shots, Derrick White was 5 by 9 from a 3 -point range and added nine assists, and Jrue Holiday made multiple winning plays in the final minutes.
Tyrese Maxey scored 34 points for a 76ers team that played without Joel Embiid, Paul George, Caleb Martin, Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon. Former Celista Guerschon Yabusele scored 21 against his former team.
Maxey, the most productive and reliable member of the three Big Snakebitten of Philly, was too much for Boston to drive from the beginning, surpassing the Celtics Solo (14-13) during the first seven minutes. The Celtics did not help offensively during this slow start, going 1 of 8 from the range of 3 points with failures of five different players.
Boston’s shooters settled during an 11-2 race that had a couple of Kristaps Porzingis Tres, then cooled again during the last three minutes of the first quarter. Tatum and Brown combined for only six points and two made field goals in the quarter, and the Sixers led 29-21 after one.
The Celtics played almost half of that painting with Jaden Springer on the floor, with Joe Mazzulla giving the young guard another significant opportunity in the absence of Payton Pritchard. Pritchard was left out for the first time since April 2023 after landing in the injury report with a disease on Sunday morning, breaking a streak of 132 consecutive appearances in the regular season.
Maxey’s annotation rhythm slowed after Springer entered, but the latter was lost two three of the open corner during his seven -minute turn and saw the rest of the game from the bank. Springer’s second fault was part of a succession of nine three three straight by the Celtics, who tried 27 triples in the first half, but won only seven (26.9%). The general percentage of field goal of 33.3% of the CELTS before part time was the worst in any first half this season. His 44 points were his second best.
At an emblematic moment, Holiday was open in the left corner when time spread in the middle. Instead of letting a shot fly quickly, the veteran guard took an additional drill, causing his attempt (fact) of 3 points to leave his hand just after the bell rang. Boston lost 61-44 in the half time, with vacations in a worse team less-28 and Tatum in less-23. (All other Celts were a less or better).
“There was definitely a component that we were not playing as detailed as we needed with Maxey scoring 23 points in the first half and (many of those who come in transition,” Mazzulla told reporters. “But I thought we were receiving really good photos. At one point, I looked at the box score and were shooting 60% of three and we were shooting 26%. So I said we will lose for 50 or will be a closed game. I really liked the focus of our boys in the second half. Even when I was not going well, we had a great approach. He simply attributes it, attributing it.
The Celtics briefly turned their 3 -point approach in the third quarter, trying only one in the first 5:58 after part time. They began to prioritize the edge against a team of the Sixers that was missing most of their best interior players, and that strategy threw a quick series of brands close to Tatum, White and Porzingis.
However, he did not make a dent in his deficit, since the Sixers advanced as the room lasted. One of the leaders of that position was Yabusele, the team’s team of the Celtics 2016 that converted an impressive Olympic tournament into a return of the NBA after five seasons in Europe. The corpulent striker scored 12 of his 21 points in the third, reaching two triples and throwing two monstrous dumps, one of which attracted a technical foul for excessive celebration.
The first three of Yabusele put the Sixers by 77-56 and seemed to trigger a change of Mazzulla game plan. The Celtics returned to their bomb mentality, and their open gaze finally began to fall constantly.
Sixteen of the next 25 Boston shots came from beyond the arch. Eleven of those who gave in the target. The Celtics cut the advantage of the 76ers at 14 points at the end of the third quarter, then exploded in the room. After missing their first two field goals in the final painting, they made their next 10 consecutive ones, including two three of Sam Hauser (12 points; 4 of 7 of three) and three of Tatum, the last of which put Boston before 101 -100.
Tatum blocked a Maxey Three in the following possession, leaving Luke Kornet for a transition dump, then led to a tray to limit a 23-6 Celtics race.
“In the first half, we were not shots, and it was affecting some of our defensive details,” Mazzulla told journalists. “In the second half, we play it and go through it. We have stops. We left. We could run. … I liked the mentality of our boys. He was studying his body language, and it seemed that they really wanted to do what was needed to win. So I stayed with them and they delivered.
Kornet and Hauser reserves were fundamental in the acquisition of Boston’s fourth quarter. The Celtics surpassed the Sixers for 17 and 18 points with each of them on the floor, respectively, and Mazzulla touched both of the veteran man to Horford, who did not see the floor after part time.
White reviewed Hauser again with 4:46 remaining and hit two three of the last three to help Boston move away. However, it was Holiday, who played the role of Celtics closer, expelling for his first forgettable half when blocking a Maxey shot and drilling a dagger three in the last two minutes. Holiday also covered Maxey in another possession of the late game, with his defensive foul overturned after a successful challenge of the Celtics.
The Celtics, winners of three consecutive for the first time since the beginning of January, will close a road trip of three games on Tuesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, leaders of the East Conference. They follow the CAVs for 5 1/2 games and divide the first two team meetings.
“At the end of the day, you try to build these,” Mazzulla told reporters. “It does not mean that you will necessarily build it tomorrow or the next day, but I simply liked the focus of the boys and their mentality for this particular game. We know that we have in us to do some things like that, so it is important that you are in Some of these situations. “
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