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National Basketball Association
Philadelphia 109, Boston 98
When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, January 9, 2020
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Officials: #62 JB DeRosa, #5 Kane Fitzgerald, #33 Sean Corbin
Attendance: 20822

Josh Richardson scored 29 points, Ben Simmons added 19 points and nine rebounds and the host Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Boston Celtics, 109-98, on Thursday.

Al Horford contributed 17 points and Tobias Harris had 16 for the Sixers, who played without All-Star center Joel Embiid. Earlier in the day, it was announced that Embiid will have surgery Friday for a torn ligament on the fourth metacarpal on his left hand and be re-evaluated in one to two weeks.

The Sixers improved to 18-2 at home.

The Celtics were led by Kemba Walker with 26 points. Marcus Smart added 24 and Jayson Tatum had 15 points and 10 rebounds. Boston has dropped three in a row for the first time this season.

The Celtics bolted to a 51-36 lead with 5:05 left until halftime before the Sixers responded with a 12-0 run to get within three. But Boston finished the half with consecutive baskets and took a 55-48 lead into the locker room.

Smart and Walker scored 13 points apiece for the Celtics before the break. Richardson paced the Sixers with 15 points in 15 first-half minutes.

After a quick basket by Boston to open the third, the Sixers came back with an 11-0 spurt to move ahead 59-57. Harris' hard-charging drive to the basket capped the run, prompting Celtics head coach Brad Stevens to take a timeout.

After the Sixers took a six-point lead, Tatum and Walker each hit a 3-pointer, and the game was tied at 69 with 4:49 remaining in the third.

The Celtics held an 80-77 advantage after three quarters, as Smart knocked down a deep trey from the wing with 4.2 seconds left.

Philadelphia regained the momentum and pushed ahead 94-87 with 6:02 to go when Horford completed a three-point play.

Simmons missed a dunk on the Sixers' next possession, and Walker came back with a three-point play. Gordon Hayward then scored the next time down, and the Celtics got within 94-92 with 5:15 remaining.

After a hard foul by Smart, Richardson made two free throws for a 101-94 Philadelphia advantage with 3:08 left. On Philly's next possession, the lefty Simmons dropped in a right-handed hook for a nine-point lead.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Boston   Philadelphia
Kemba Walker 26 Scoring Josh Richardson 29
Jayson Tatum 4 Assists Josh Richardson 7
Enes Kanter 11 Rebounds Ben Simmons 9
Jayson Tatum 6 Free Throws Made Josh Richardson 10
Marcus Smart 3 Steals James Ennis III 2
Jayson Tatum 1 Blocks Norvel Pelle 3
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Boston 98 43.2 14-36 8-8 17 38 1 8 15
Philadelphia 109 48.9 11-27 12-17 24 48 5 6 13
Upcoming Games
  • Philadelphia will play their next game on the road against Dallas. The 76ers have a W/L % of .750 after a win and .467 after a loss.
  • Boston will play their next game at home against New Orleans. The Celtics have a W/L % of .731 after a win and .600 after a loss.