SIXERS WIN!!! SIXERS WIN!!!

The last time the Sixers won a game on the road the date was January 29th, in Boston, as the Sixers prevailed on a buzzer beater 95-94. April 4^th had another trip to Boston in store for the Sixers and for just the third time in the last 30 games they came out victorious, defeating the Boston Celtics by a final score of 111-102. The win snaps a 13 game road losing streak and the Sixers have now won two of their last four games.

The first quarter was rough on the eyes as both teams came out of the gate shooting ice cold. A combination of a relatively decent Sixers defense and horrid offense from the Celtics allowed the Sixers to get out to an early lead. Boston actually didn’t even score until a Jarod Sulinger layup with 7:33 left in the first quarter.  After the first six minutes, the Sixers were shooting 4 of 11 from the floor, while the Celtics started just 2 of 11. The rest of the first quarter involved more sloppy play from Boston as the Sixers forced 7 turnovers and held the Celtics to just 33 percent shooting. Philadelphia led Boston 23-17 after one quarter of play.

Boston controlled the second quarter and went into halftime with a 51-49 lead. They out rebounded the Sixers 29 to 17 in the first half and continued to pound the Sixers on the glass throughout the game. Offensive Rebounding helped Boston and gave them plenty of opportunities for second chance points, as they led the Sixers 21 to 10 in the category at the half. Surprisingly, the Sixers controlled the paint in the first half, outscoring Boston 24 to 8 in the area.

Boston’s Jerryd Bayless led all scorers at the half with 18 points including three 3-point field goals, while Michael Carter-Williams provided the highest point total for the Sixers at the half with 14 points.

The fourth quarter created much excitement, at least for the Sixers, as Michael Carter-Williams completely took control of the game. With less than five minutes remaining he collected 7 consecutive points to carry the Sixers over the Celtics. This was a statement game for MCW. On January 29^th, in Boston, we did not get to see him matchup versus Celtics PG Rajon Rondo but tonight we did and Carter-Williams demonstrated his skills and put his talents on display. Although Rondo had an impressive game and did finish with his 19^th career triple double, MCW showed up and returned the favor. He finished with 24 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and also had 1 block credited to his name. It was certainly an outstanding game for the Sixers young rookie.

Henry Sims had a career night of his own tallying a career high 24 points and accumulating 14 of the 24 from the free throw line. Overall, he was 14 of 18 at the strike. I mentioned Rondo’s 19^th career triple double earlier, he finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and racked up 16 assists on the night leading Boston in almost every major category.

The Sixers shot extremely well tonight, 50.6 percent, to go along with 54 points in the paint. They got good, high percentage shots all night and took advantage of Boston’s poor defense.

The Celtics had a rough night from beyond the arc, shooting just 31.7 percent from downtown. The 22 turnovers they committed did not help their cause as their efforts faded away in the fourth quarter.

This is a quality victory for this young Sixers team. They have found some life here towards the end of the season and will look to continue to play competitive games throughout the remainder of the schedule. “4-4-14” will go down in the books not as the return of Nerlens Noel but as a night the Sixers rallied behind their young rookie stud Michael Carter-Williams to defeat the Celtics, 111-102.

Up Next: Tomorrow night at the Wells Fargo Center vs Brooklyn. Tip-off is set for 7:30pm.  

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