The Boston Celtics picked up right where they left off before the All-Star break, delivering a dominant 124-104 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday night. The defending champions won their fourth consecutive game, with six players scoring in double digits.
One of those players was veteran big man Al Horford, who put up 11 points, four rebounds, and one assist in 18 minutes. However, his performance wasn’t as big of a storyline as the reception he received from Philadelphia fans.
Horford, who played a disappointing one-year stint with the 76ers in the 2019-20 season, was heavily booed by the home crowd the moment he stepped on the court.
Rather than being rattled by the reaction, Horford embraced it after the game.
“They care enough to boo. It’s good to be cared for,” Horford said.
Despite struggling in the first half (zero points, -14 plus/minus), Horford admitted that the boos actually fueled him in the second half:
“I like it. I take it as respect,” Horford said. “I wasn’t having my best game offensively. I feel like that got me going.”
The game also marked the return of Jrue Holiday and Jaylen Brown to the lineup. However, it was Payton Pritchard who stole the show, leading all scorers with 28 points and four assists.
Other notable performances for Boston included Jayson Tatum, who had a triple-double (15 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists), Jaylen Brown (20 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists), and Kristaps Porzingis (17 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist).
The win improves the Celtics’ record to 40-16, solidifying their position as the second seed in the Eastern Conference, while the 76ers drop to 20-35. Boston will look to extend its winning streak to five games when they host the New York Knicks at TD Garden on Sunday.
