BOSTON — A month in the past, the Philadelphia 76ers appeared like a crew headed for infamy.
Having come into the season with championship aspirations, the 76ers as an alternative noticed themselves sitting at an unfathomable 3-14 on Thanksgiving Day, with day by day questions on whether or not they could be higher off attempting to maintain their draft decide versus trying to succeed in the postseason.
But after Wednesday’s 118-114 Christmas Day victory over the defending champion Boston Celtics, Philadelphia has now ripped off wins in eight of its previous 11 video games, has climbed out of the basement within the Eastern Conference and has renewed the crew’s hopes of a deep postseason run.
“We bought a excessive ceiling,” stated Joel Embiid, who twisted his ankle when he stepped on a safety guard’s foot throughout warmups however completed with 27 factors and 9 rebounds in 31 minutes for Philadelphia (11-17). “It’s all about us placing it collectively.
“I do not assume that was near our greatest basketball, however we bought a fairly good probability. So it is all about on the lookout for some luck, and staying wholesome.”
Luck has been in brief provide for Embiid and the 76ers. They’ve already seen Paul George hyperextend his left knee twice within the first couple of months of the season, and Embiid is coming off the third facial fracture of his profession. Wednesday’s showdown with Boston was simply the sixth time this season the crew’s three tentpole stars — Embiid, George and Tyrese Maxey — all have been out there for a similar recreation, and so they’ve now performed a complete of 102 minutes collectively.
Christmas Day, although, turned a possibility for them to indicate issues might lastly be turning round. Since Thanksgiving, albeit towards a good schedule, Philadelphia is tied for the fourth-best document within the league — behind solely the Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers. That has allowed them to climb to inside a recreation of the play-in spots within the Eastern Conference and to inside 3½ video games of the Miami Heat for sixth place, the ultimate assured playoff spot.
Against Boston, Philadelphia took care of the ball (13-6 edge in turnovers), did not miss a free throw (19-for-19), bought large video games from each Embiid and Maxey (33 factors, 12 assists), and bought an enormous contribution from Caleb Martin, who returned to his function as Celtics killer from the 2023 Eastern Conference finals by going 7-for-9 from 3 for 23 factors.
“I understand how they will exit and guard me,” stated Martin, who was repeatedly left open by Boston. “I do know who’s going to be guarding me. I do know what pictures I’m going to have, and I’ve to take these it doesn’t matter what.”
And although the Celtics made a livid rally to chop a 14-point Philadelphia lead inside the ultimate minute to 2 within the final 10 seconds, it wasn’t sufficient to beat a listless defensive efficiency that noticed the 76ers get loads of open pictures all through, sending the Celtics tumbling to consecutive losses for the primary time this season and in three of their previous 4 video games.
“I simply assume we simply got here out too informal,” Celtics ahead Jaylen Brown stated. “I simply assume we was strolling to our spots. Nobody was sprinting down the ground, simply type of hanging round, simply attempting to veer again to get the ball as an alternative of simply pushing it down the court docket and simply being aggressive. I really feel like we simply began off the sport simply gradual, and so they took benefit of that.”
Boston was with out Jrue Holiday, who was dominated out earlier than the sport due to a shoulder damage, and Kristaps Porzingis after halftime, after he was limping some within the first half due to left ankle soreness. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla had no replace afterward.
For Philadelphia, the query now’s whether or not this crew — after starting to dig itself out of the large gap it created to start the season — can proceed stacking victories. The 76ers, who’ve but to win three straight video games this season, will make their fourth try at doing so after they go to Utah on Saturday, starting a four-game West Coast journey that can proceed at Portland, Sacramento and Golden State.
But after the place issues stood a month in the past, the 76ers are simply glad to be again inside putting distance of the playoffs. They imagine lastly having some prolonged time round each other has performed a big half in turning issues round.
“Loads completely different,” Maxey stated when requested how issues really feel for the 76ers now in contrast to some weeks in the past. “Loads completely different. But I stated it again then, simply give us a while. It was troublesome as a result of guys have been out and in and we lastly thought that we have been going to have all people taking part in. I bought harm. That sucks. You know what I imply? I had a bit rhythm going a bit bit after which I get harm after which we bought to restart, determine all of it out. I come again, Joel will get harm. We bought to determine all of it out once more.
“I believe the most important factor that we have actually accomplished is we have come collectively much more. I really feel like we had a whole lot of new guys. I do not know what number of new folks now we have, like seven or one thing like that, and it is troublesome. You do not understand how you need to play. You do not know what combos go together with one another. I believe we’re lastly figuring that out.”
