Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics’ coach, expressed his surprise at the team’s win over the 76ers in a game where they were heavy favorites. Despite the 76ers’ recent struggles and the absence of Joel Embiid, the Celtics faced a stiff challenge for most of the game. However, a 16-0 run in the fourth quarter helped them secure a 118-102 victory.
This win marked the Celtics’ ninth consecutive victory, maintaining their eight-game lead over the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference standings. What was particularly notable about this win was that the Celtics achieved it without relying on their usual strength of 3-point shooting, attempting and making a season-low of 5-of-22 shots from beyond the arc. Instead, they capitalized on their dominance in points in the paint (64–42) and free throws (34–11) to compensate for their lack of 3-point shooting.
Mazzulla praised the team’s performance in the second half, highlighting their ability to get to their spots, play with physicality on drives, and control the shot margin with their one-shot defense. He also emphasized the importance of this win, as it showcased a different way for the team to win and provided a template for how teams might guard them in the future. This game, according to Mazzulla, was one of the team’s best performances of the year and gives them another aspect to practice and improve upon.
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