National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Boston 108, Philadelphia 89
When: 7:30 PM ET, Monday, March 16, 2015
Where: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Officials: #72 J.T. Orr, #11 Derrick Collins, #16 David Guthrie
Attendance: 16553

Celtics 108, 76ers 89: Tyler Zeller scored a career-high 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting as the host Celtics coasted to their fifth straight win.

Avery Bradley finished with 20 points, a career high-tying 10 rebounds and six assists for Boston, which has won 10 of 13 overall to pull into a three-way tie with Indiana and Miami for the Nos. 7-9 spots in the Eastern Conference playoff race, a half-game ahead of 10th-place Charlotte. Brandon Bass had 12 points, Marcus Smart 11 and three others finished with 10 as the Celtics completed a four-game season series sweep of Philadelphia for the first time in six years.

Nerlens Noel led the 76ers with 18 points and Ish Smith had 16. Hollis Thompson added 13 points, Isaiah Canaan had 11 and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute chipped in 10 for Philadelphia, which fell to 1-13 against Atlantic Division opponents.

The Celtics scored the game's first seven points and raced to a 38-18 lead after one quarter, as Bradley and Zeller scored 10 points apiece and combined to shoot 8-of-9 from the floor. Boston cooled off in the second, shooting just 26.1 percent, but still had a 57-34 lead at the break.

Philadelphia awoke with 13 points - six by Mbah a Moute - in the first three-plus minutes of the third but never got closer than 16 in the period and Jae Crowder had the final two baskets to give the hosts an 89-68 lead going into the fourth. Zeller's jumper capped a 6-0 burst early in the fourth and the 76ers never got any closer than 17 down the stretch.

GAME NOTEBOOK:
Celtics G Isaiah Thomas (back) missed his fourth straight game. ... Boston's winning streak is its longest since a five-gamer Feb. 25-March 8, 2013. ... The 76ers were 13-of-24 from the line, while the Celtics went 12-of-15.
Top Game Performances
 
Philadelphia   Boston
Nerlens Noel 18 Scoring Tyler Zeller 26
Ish Smith 4 Assists Avery Bradley 6
Nerlens Noel 7 Rebounds Avery Bradley 10
Nerlens Noel 4 Free Throws Made Tyler Zeller 4
Robert Covington 2 Steals Phil Pressey 3
Isaiah Canaan 1 Blocks Luigi Datome 3
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Philadelphia 89 40.5 8-24 13-24 20 40 4 7 16
Boston 108 50.0 8-20 12-15 27 42 3 7 11
Upcoming Games
  • Boston will play their next game on the road against Oklahoma City. The Celtics have a W/L % of .533 after a win and .389 after a loss.
  • Philadelphia will play their next game at home against Detroit. The 76ers have a W/L % of .200 after a win and .231 after a loss.