Boston trailed 58-60 at the half before a bench-heavy second unit closed out a 125-120 win over Philadelphia. The starters combined for nine points; the reserves scored 40, led by 15 from Hugo Gonzalez and 12 from Luka Garza.
Boston won the second half by seven after trailing at the break.
Boston trailed 58-60 at halftime, the margin set by a Joel Embiid pullup with 13 seconds left in the second quarter. The game had seven lead changes and six ties, and neither team's largest lead topped eight points. Boston answered after the break, outscoring the 76ers 67-60 to close it out 125-120. It was Boston's second meeting with Philadelphia this preseason, after a 144-106 win on October 10 that was never this close.
Boston's bench closed the game the starters couldn't.
Boston's five starters combined for nine points, while the bench scored 40. The group that finished the final five minutes - Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez, Jordan Walsh, Luka Garza and Ron Harper Jr. - held that lead against a Philadelphia closing five that still had Joel Embiid, LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey on the floor.
Gonzalez and Garza were the clearest positives, while Scheierman's plus-minus outran his shot chart.
Gonzalez scored 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting, including 2 of 4 from three, and finished plus-10 in 13 minutes. Garza matched that plus-10 in the same 13 minutes, going 3 of 5 from the field and 4 of 4 from the line for 12 points and five rebounds. Scheierman shot 1 of 10 but still finished plus-9 with four assists in 14 minutes. Milos Uzan and Tucker DeVries each finished minus-12 in 11 minutes, the worst marks in the game.
The preseason margins have been shrinking, and the real schedule starts in four days.
Boston played on one day of rest after two games in the previous seven; Philadelphia had five days off and one game in that span. The win pushed Boston to 3-0 in preseason, with the margin shrinking each time out: 38 points over Philadelphia on October 10, 21 over Charlotte on October 14, and 5 in this rematch. The regular-season opener at Detroit is four days away, on October 20.
Did Boston's starters play much in the win over Philadelphia?
No. The five starters scored a combined nine points, while the bench scored 40 and closed out the final five minutes.
Who were Boston's best performers against the 76ers?
Hugo Gonzalez led with 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting, and Luka Garza added 12 points and five rebounds; both finished plus-10.
