Irving, Horford lead Celtics past 76ers
PHILADELPHIA » Kyrie Irving scored 21 points, Al Horford had 15 and the Boston Celtics won for the first time since losing Gordon Hayward, 102-92 over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.
The Celtics lost their first two games after Hayward went down in the opener with a mangled ankle that may cost him the season. Horford and Irving took over down the stretch to quiet a raucous 76ers’ crowd in the home opener.
Jayson Tatum scored 15 points and had Terry Rozier III had 14 to keep the Celtics afloat with a makeshift lineup. Boston snapped a tie game with an 11-4 run late in the fourth that steadied a franchise still reeling from Hayward’s injury.
Joel Embiid knows the feeling of missing an entire season. The Sixers center missed his first two NBA seasons with foot injuries and was limited to 31 games last year. Healthy and ready to play, Embiid had one of his worst games as a pro, with 11 points on 4-for-11 shooting. He missed all six 3s in 28 minutes. J.J. Redick led the Sixers with 19 points.
Moments after he checked in late in the third, Embiid drove past Horford for his first basket of the game and a 65-56 lead. Embiid missed his first eight shots — he spent more time exhorting the fans to chant “Trust the Process,” — before he gave the fans a real reason to cheer.
Already playing short-handed, the Celtics wasted points with a 15of-25 effort from the line through the third quarter. Aaron Baynes slipped in for a tip-in at the horn when Embiid failed to box out that cut Philly’s lead to 72-69.
Years of some of the worst basketball in NBA history have at last yielded a Game 7 enthusiasm for the Sixers. The Wells Fargo Center was sold out and fans tailgated in the parking lot hours before tipoff, giving it an Eagles feel. A few Eagles even showed up to ring the ceremonial Liberty Bell during pregame intros and fans whipped their giveaway T-shirts into makeshift rally towels as the arena rocked much like it did in the Allen Iverson era.
“This is gonna be fun tonight, but on behalf of the whole organization, my teammates and myself, we just want to thank you for all the support,” Embiid told the crowd. “I mean, it’s gonna be a great season, so trust the process!”