Payton Pritchard and Derrick White made history on Wednesday night, becoming the first Celtics teammates to each score 40-plus points in a game as Boston beat Portland at home.
Pritchard and White both registered career highs as the Celtics kept rolling despite several key absences.
“They were tremendous,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “With guys out and playing against a really good Portland team, we knew we were going to need to have guys step up, and the way those two played shows a lot about who they are. They do a lot of the dirty stuff when we’re fully healthy, and to have a night like this where those two can show what they’re capable of was big for us. We’re lucky to have them, and it was a lot of fun to watch them do that.”
Next up is the struggling 76ers, who have won just one of their last 12 and ruled out former MVP Joel Embiid for the rest of the season with a knee injury. Leading scorer Tyrese Maxey missed Tuesday’s loss to the Timberwolves and is out Thursday as well.
Jayson Tatum (shoulder), Kristaps Porzingis (illness), and Jrue Holiday (finger) each missed Wednesday’s game and are uncertain for Thursday.
Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. Here’s your preview.
When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: TD Garden, Boston
TV, radio: NBCSB, TNT, WROR-FM 105.7
Line: Boston -14.5. O/U: 220.5.
76ERS
Season record: 21-40. vs. spread: 22-38, 1 push. Over/under: 34-26, 1 push
Last 10 games: 1-9. vs. spread: 2-8. Over/under: 5-5
CELTICS
Season record: 44-18. vs. spread: 28-34. Over/under: 28-33, 1 push
Last 10 games: 8-2. vs. spread: 7-3. Over/under: 4-6
TEAM STATISTICS
Points per game: Philadelphia 109.1, Boston 117.0
Points allowed per game: Philadelphia 113.8, Boston 108.4
Field goal percentage: Philadelphia .454, Boston .461
Opponent field goal percentage: Philadelphia .488, Boston .453
3-point percentage: Philadelphia .345, Boston .371
Opponent 3-point percentage: Philadelphia .369, Boston .347
Stat of the day: Payton Pritchard and Derrick White became the first teammates in NBA history to each hit at least nine 3-pointers in the same game on Wednesday.
Notes: The Celtics have won eight of their last 10 games and already have clinched a postseason berth. … With Embiid and Maxey out, Paul George returned to the court Tuesday after missing one game with groin soreness but missed 8 of 11 attempts from the field and finished with 7 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. He left the game in the fourth quarter when the groin issue flared up. … The Celtics are 2-1 against the 76ers this season. Boston prevailed 118-110 in Philadelphia on Feb. 2 and 124-104 there on Feb. 20. Philadelphia won the first meeting, in Boston, 118-114 on Christmas Day. … One bright spot for Philadelphia lately has been the play of 24-year-old Quentin Grimes, who is averaging 17.7 points and is shooting 52.4 percent from the field — 38.2 percent from 3-point territory — in 11 games since he was acquired from Dallas. Grimes scored 30 points on 12 of 18 shooting Tuesday, had a career-high 44 points in a victory over Golden State on Saturday, and posted a career-high nine assists in Monday’s loss to Portland.
Amin Touri can be reached at [email protected].