The Boston Celtics can extend their winning streak to nine games when they face the visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.
Boston is averaging 120.7 points per game this season, and its offensive depth was on display during Saturday night’s 116-102 victory over the host New York Knicks. Six Celtics scored at least 10 points in the win, led by Jaylen Brown’s 30.
Jayson Tatum had 19 points, six assists and six rebounds, and drew praise from his coach and teammates for his unselfishness. Tatum is averaging a team-high 26.9 points per game.
“I thought it was a beautiful display of basketball from Jayson that will go underlooked and will not go into the most valuable category, but his ability to control the game with his pick-and-roll pace, his pick-and-roll passing, his defense — he put himself on Jalen Brunson — and welcoming the two-on-ones and creating for others was great,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “My hat’s off to him for knowing that’s a way for us to win.”
Tatum had his string of 13 straight games with at least 20 points and seven rebounds end Saturday night, but the Celtics won for the 10th time in their past 11 games.
“You have to give (Tatum) credit because when he does that (share the basketball), it makes everyone else do that, and then we’re winning games because everyone is feeling good, everyone is scoring,” Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis said.
“We’re all dangerous. … Us as players, we know what we’re doing, and we know what the goal is. We’re all putting our stuff to the side for one bigger goal.”
Generating offense has been an issue for the 76ers since they lost reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid to a knee injury last month. Philadelphia has lost seven of 11 games since then.
The 76ers haven’t scored more than 104 points in any of their past four games.
“We have a lot of guards and a big-man shortage,” Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said. “We’re trying to figure some things out. But we still have to do a little bit better of a job of ‘drive and kick’ style basketball with this group of guys. We’ve got to get organized. We’ve got to be more organized on the offensive end.”
Tyrese Maxey had 24 points and De’Anthony Melton added 16 for the 76ers during Sunday’s 119-98 loss to Milwaukee. Philadelphia made 7 of its 25 field goal attempts in the opening quarter and trailed by 14 entering the second.
The 76ers shot 37.1 percent from the field in the game (36 of 97).
“I think offensively we didn’t play near enough the way we needed to,” Nurse said. “I think that we got a little kind of quick in the shot selection, I think, and it was a little bit contagious and we didn’t make some of them.
“They weren’t the worst shots in the world, but if you’re going to take some of those you got to, I know it sounds silly, but you got to make them, right?”
Tuesday night’s game will be the fourth meeting between the Celtics and 76ers this season. Philadelphia prevailed 106-103 at home on Nov. 8, but Boston won 117-107 in Philadelphia on Nov. 15 and 125-119 in Boston on Dec. 1.
-Field Level Media