Philadelphia's reserve-heavy lineup lost 106-144 at Boston on Friday, trailing by as many as 45 after Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were all held out for rest. VJ Edgecombe led the Sixers with 19 points, but Boston's regulars and bench alike had their way with Philadelphia's reserves all night.
Does this blowout actually mean anything?
No. Embiid, Brown, James and Caldwell-Pope were all held out for rest, so Boston's regulars — Tatum, White, George and Pritchard — faced a Sixers lineup built around VJ Edgecombe, Jabari Walker, and preseason looks for Labaron Philon and Jameer Nelson Jr. Last season's numbers, Boston's 56-26 record and 8.3 net rating against Philadelphia's 45-37 and -0.1, say more about where these two teams stand than a 38-point preseason margin.
What actually broke the game open?
Boston scored 144 by stacking two separate fourth-quarter runs — 10-0 and 11-0 — on top of a Sixers group that had just put together its own 9-0 run to make it 78-108. Those two Celtics runs turned an 81-108 game into 91-129 in under five minutes, and the margin never came back down from there.
Who actually helped himself tonight?
Edgecombe: 19 points, 6-of-11 shooting, 2-of-5 from three, and 4 steals in 26 minutes — the clear headline. Labaron Philon, playing off the bench, put up 14 points and 7 assists on 5-of-13 shooting, 4-of-8 from deep. Those numbers matter more than the final score, since neither one will be guarding Jayson Tatum when the games count.
Was anyone actually bad?
Maxey. Eight points on 2-of-10 shooting in 18 minutes is the one line that should worry people, preseason minutes cap or not. Dillon Jones (-26) and Rayan Rupert (-25) carried the two worst plus-minus marks on the team, both caught in the lineup during Boston's two fourth-quarter runs.
What changes heading into the next game?
Philadelphia gets Boston again on October 16, this time at home, with six days to sort out rotations before the real opener on October 20 at the Knicks. Embiid, Brown, James and Caldwell-Pope are all expected back well before then — nothing from a preseason blowout changes how this roster is actually built.
Did Joel Embiid play against the Celtics on October 10?
No. Embiid was held out for rest, along with Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
What was the final score of the Sixers-Celtics preseason game?
The Celtics won 144-106 on October 10, with Boston's lead reaching as many as 45 points.
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