A day after the blizzard, the Sixers were buried by the Celtics.
The Celtics arrived in Philadelphia around 10:30 a.m. Sunday morning and played like they couldn’t wait to get the game taken care of that night. The Sixers got down by 11 in the first and, in spite of a push later that quarter, trailed by 15 at halftime. Boston then dominated the second half to deal the Sixers a 112-92 loss.
The game was scheduled for Saturday but was postponed because of the weather.
Turning point
The Sixers trailed by five points after the first quarter. The Celtics opened the second on a 13-1 run over the first four minutes. The Sixers shot 0 for 5 from the floor and committed two turnovers during that stretch. The Celtics extended their lead to 18 points halfway through the quarter.
Inside the box score
The Celtics' guards combined for offensive damage. Isaiah Thomas (20 points, four assists), Avery Bradley (19 points, four assists) and Marcus Smart (16 points) combined for 55 points. Jae Crowder scored 20 of his own. Jared Sullinger put together a well-rounded effort of eight points, seven assists and 11 rebounds. Amir Johnson pulled down 12 boards with five assists.
Robert Covington found his shot, scoring a game-high 25 points (6 for 13 from three) with eight rebounds. Nerlens Noel fell short of a double-double with 12 points and nine boards. Jahlil Okafor (10 points, six rebounds) and Ish Smith (seven points, 3 for 12 from the floor, four assists) had quiet scoring nights.
NBA
McConnell doesn’t back down
T.J. McConnell suffered a lower left leg laceration after colliding with courtside seats in the first quarter. He stayed in the game but checked out temporarily to have it tended to by the medical staff. Undeterred, McConnell chased a loose ball out of bounds multiple times after that.
Stauskas returns
Nik Stauskas was cleared to play after missing three games with a left shoulder contusion (see story). He checked in with 3:29 remaining in the second quarter. Stauskas played 15 minutes with two points (1 for 6 from the floor).
Up next
The Sixers will host the Suns Tuesday night. They will travel to Detroit after that to play the Pistons on Wednesday.