76ers Overcome Early Offensive Struggles To Beat Celtics With Stifling Defense In Season Opener
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Sixers shrugged off a sluggish offensive start to topple the Celtics 107-93 in the season opener on Wednesday. Offensively, it was not the start fans had hoped for but whoever watched Game 1 of the 2019-20 season got a glimpse of what this Sixers team could do defensively. As for the offense, it was only one game.
The first game of the season felt like one. The Sixers were out of sync offensively to start, missing four of their first five shots. They shot 38% in the first quarter and struggled mightily from beyond the arc -- missing all six three-point attempts.
The lack of scoring had the Sixers trailing 25-20 after the first.
The Sixers continued to labor on the offensive end as they failed to score a field goal for nearly the first five minutes of the second quarter.
But after a number of free throws, and a late quarter push led by a slam from Ben Simmons, the Sixers took a one-point lead into halftime.
In the second half, the Sixers got on a roll.
But the Wells Fargo Center was silenced when All-Star center Joel Embiid took an elbow to the face from Jaylen Brown and began to bleed. Embiid was OK and remained in the game.
The Sixers continued to look more like the team many thought they would be by causing turnovers, blocking shots and disrupting the Celtics' offense in the third quarter and even forced an eight-second violation.
That effort on defense allowed the Sixers' lead to grow to nine points at the end of the third.
In the fourth, the Sixers picked up the pace on offense and used back-to-back three-pointers from Furkan Korkmaz and Tobias Harris to lead the charge in the 107-93 win.
Philadelphia's turnover issues from last season lingered into Game 1 as the Sixers committed 17 turnovers in the game.
But on the bright side, all five starters for the Sixers scored in double figures. Simmons led the team with 24 points on 11 of 16 shooting.
The Sixers will travel to Detroit to take on the Pistons on Saturday.