Instant Observations: Maxey, Embiid and Martin Lead 76ers to Impressive Christmas Day Win Over Celtics

The Philadelphia 76ers came away with a signature win this season, going on the road and defeating the rival Boston Celtics 118-114 on Christmas Day.

Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 33 points, four rebounds, 12 assists, three steals and a block. Joel Embiid finished with 27 points and nine rebounds. Caleb Martin scored a season-high 23 points, including knocking down seven of his nine attempts from 3-point range. Jared McCain (left knee meniscus surgery), Andre Drummond (left toe sprain), KJ Martin (left foot stress reaction) and Eric Gordon (left oral surgery) all missed this contest for the Sixers.

Jayson Tatum finished with 32 points, 15 rebounds and four assists in the Celtics’ losing effort. Jaylen Brown totaled 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. Derrick White added 21 points, three rebounds and four assists. Jrue Holiday (right shoulder impingement) was the lone player out for Boston.

The Sixers have a few days off before they begin a West Coast road trip with a matchup against the Utah Jazz on Saturday night. Here are some instant observations from the big win over the Celtics:

Likes:

– The first couple months of this season have largely not gone the Sixers way. However, things have begun to turn around in recent weeks as the team has won seven of their last 10 games. The Sixers had a chance to make a statement against the rival Celtics in front of a national audience on Christmas Day. They answered the bell, beginning with the play of the Sixers’ star guard from Kentucky.

Maxey eliminated any bad memories from his Christmas Day clunker last season against the Miami Heat. He scored 12 points in the opening quarter, taking over and guiding the Sixers to an early lead. Maxey looked like the best version of himself, playing with total command of the offense. It did not matter whether it was through scoring or setting up his teammates. Maxey excelled on both fronts against Boston, doing a fantastic job of taking whatever Boston’s defense was giving him.

He wrapped up his night with a dominant fourth quarter, proving again he has the ability to be a big-time clutch performer. The Celtics battled back into the game to force a tie going into the final quarter. With all the momentum pointing in the Celtics’ direction, Maxey came in and quieted the Boston crowd. He scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, including a layup off a tremendous side-out-of-bounds play with just over a minute remaining. Maxey gave Sixers fans an extra present under their trees by coming through with a huge performance on Christmas Day.

– Embiid, who nearly got hurt in pre-game warmups, also shined in the Sixers’ big win over the Celtics. He carved up Boston’s defense through a combination of 3-pointers and his usual arsenal of mid-range jumpers. The big fella knocked down multiple timely shots to quiet or answer some Boston runs throughout the contest. Embiid has typically struggled against Boston, who does a good job playing with physicality and mixing in different defensive coverages. However, he did a solid job managing the game and playing with patience when he had the ball in his hands. Outside of a few turnovers late in the game, Embiid had a clean, efficient performance.

– Martin has a history of playing well against the Celtics, and he continued that pattern on Christmas Day. Sixers fans of a certain age will remember Andrew Toney, who was affectionately known as the Boston Strangler due to his success against the Celtics. Perhaps Martin can eventually earn the same name given his penchant for strong performances against Boston.

The Celtics were content to leave Martin open from beyond the arc, and that decision came back to haunt them. Martin drilled one 3-pointer after another, including three gigantic makes in the fourth quarter. After going through a severe dry spell as an outside shooter earlier this season, Martin has seemingly figured some things out in recent games. His turnaround offensively might be due to the six-year veteran getting over a shoulder injury that ailed him earlier this season. Martin has proven to be a capable defender, but what makes him a key piece to the Sixers roster is his ability to have blowup games offensively like he did in this contest.

Dislikes:

– While Embiid and Maxey shined for the Sixers, their third star did not show up in any meaningful way offensively. Paul George could not buy a shot from 3-point range, and he needed to be far more aggressive hunting for his own shot inside the arc. The Sixers survived in the first half largely on the backs of Embiid and Maxey.

In the second half, Boston’s offense heated up and made it a close game. George had a situation in the second half that was tailor-made for him to step up and prove his mettle. There was a stint in the third quarter where both Embiid and Maxey were on the bench. Instead of stepping up in that moment, George continued to crater offensively. Fortunately, secondary players such as Martin and Guerschon Yabusele stepped up and did enough to help the Sixers survive until Embiid and Maxey came back into the game.

If the Sixers are going to make noise in the playoffs this season, getting George going offensively is a necessity. He has yet to consistently find his footing in Philadelphia. Games like the one he had against the Celtics (12 points on 4-of-15 shooting) have been more common than ones in which he plays as expected.

– The Sixers have to clean up their turnover issues, particularly against a full-court press defense. They should have defeated the Celtics by more than four points. Multiple poor late-game turnovers nearly allowed Boston to come back and steal this game. While the Sixers were able to get away with it this time, they need to make improving their execution against press defense a priority moving forward.