Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives to the basket on a dunk against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, March 6, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Jayson Tatum poured in a game-high 35 points and grabbed seven rebounds to help the depleted Boston Celtics extend their winning streak to three games with a 123-105 decision over the visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.
Tatum, who didn’t play Wednesday in Boston’s victory over the Portland Trail Blazers because of a shoulder injury, made 5 of 11 3-point attempts. He did not play in the fourth quarter.
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Boston received 19 points from Payton Pritchard (one night after he scored a career-high 43) and 15 from Baylor Scheierman.
READ: NBA: Quentin Grimes, 76ers face uphill climb vs Celtics
Jayson Tatum got it done in Boston tonight!
35 PTS | 7 REB | 3 STL | 5 3PM | 60.9 FG%
The @celtics win their 3rd in a row ahead of Saturday’s showdown vs. the Lakers at 8:30pm/et on ABC 🍿 pic.twitter.com/nHJH3utyDA
— NBA (@NBA) March 7, 2025
Kelly Oubre Jr. amassed 27 points, five rebounds and six assists for Philadelphia, which has lost 12 of its past 13 games overall and six straight road games.
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Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Jrue Holiday (finger) each missed his fourth straight game. The Celtics were also without Jaylen Brown (knee), Al Horford (toe) and Sam Hauser (ankle).
In addition, Boston’s Derrick White went to the locker room with what the team called a dental injury after he was hit in the face and lost a tooth while playing defense against Oubre midway through the second quarter.
White, who scored a career-high 41 points against Portland, did return to the game and had 12 points and six assists in 24 minutes.
Philadelphia was without Tyrese Maxey (back) and Paul George (groin). Maxey is the team’s leading scorer (26.3 ppg).
READ: NBA: Payton Pritchard, Derrick White make Celtics history
Lonnie Walker IV had 17 points off the Sixers’ bench. Justin Edwards logged 14 points, Jeff Dowtin Jr. scored 10, and Andre Drummond finished the game with nine points and 10 rebounds.
Boston led 35-24 after one quarter and 64-46 at halftime. The 76ers shot 34.0 percent from the floor (16 of 47) in the first half.
The 76ers were within 10 points following an Oubre three-point play with 2:01 left in the third, but the Celtics closed the quarter on a 10-2 run and led 97-79 entering the fourth.
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Boston erased any thoughts of a Philadelphia comeback by scoring the first 10 points in the fourth to stretch their lead to 28. The surge was capped by three consecutive baskets (including two dunks) from Neemias Queta.
The Celtics won three of their four meetings with the 76ers this season.
