The Boston Celtics overwhelmed the Philadelphia 76ers 144-106 at TD Garden on Saturday, October 10, as Paul George made his debut for Boston following his trade from Philadelphia in a deal involving Jaylen Brown.
The result came with Philadelphia missing several notable players, including LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Anfernee Simons were also unavailable, leaving the 76ers without several key options.
Boston improved to 2-0 in the preseason, while Philadelphia fell to 1-2. The Celtics took control early and increased their advantage throughout the game, outscoring the 76ers in each of the first three quarters.
Boston led 24-20 after the opening period before extending the margin with a dominant 39-22 second quarter. The Celtics carried a 63-42 lead into halftime and added another 41 points in the third quarter to put the game beyond reach.
Jayson Tatum led Boston with 23 points, five rebounds and four assists, shooting 9-for-19 from the field and making four three-pointers.
Payton Pritchard provided another major contribution, scoring 25 points and dishing out seven assists in 24 minutes. He finished 7-for-12 from the field and connected on five of his eight attempts from beyond the arc.
George recorded 13 points, five rebounds, four assists and five steals in his first appearance for the Celtics. He shot 3-for-10 from the field, made two three-pointers and went 5-for-6 from the free-throw line, while committing three turnovers.
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Hugo Gonzalez added 17 points on 6-for-7 shooting, including four three-pointers. Derrick White contributed 15 points, while Sam Hauser finished with 11 points after making four of his six field-goal attempts and three shots from long range.
Boston shot 52% from the field and 46% from three-point range, making 22 of its 48 attempts from beyond the arc. The Celtics also dominated the rebounding battle 63-34 and recorded 16 steals.
Philadelphia struggled to match Boston’s offensive production, shooting 39% from the field and 28% from three-point range, making 15 of 53 attempts from deep.
VJ Edgecombe led the 76ers with 19 points, four assists and four steals. Jabari Walker scored 14 points, while Labaron Philon Jr. added 14 points and seven assists. Justin Edwards finished with 12 points.
The two teams meet again on October 16 in Philadelphia.
