The Celtics extended their winning streak to three games (the second-longest in the Eastern Conference) with a 109-108 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night. The win handed Philadelphia its first loss of the season.
Four Celtics — Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Anfernee Simons, and Jaylen Brown — scored at least 15 points, with Brown leading the way with 32 points and six assists. For the 76ers, Tyrese Maxey (26 points, 14 assists) and Joel Embiid (20 points) led the charge.
The Celtics now return home for a three-game homestand, starting Saturday night against the Houston Rockets at 8 p.m.
Here are seven takeaways as the Celtics avenge their opening night loss.
Year three of the NBA Cup
Friday night marked the start of the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup, the third edition of the league’s in-season tournament.
In case you need a reminder…
The tournament will consist of two stages: Group Play and Knockout Rounds.
For Group Play, all 30 teams have been randomly drawn into groups of five within their conference based on their 2024-25 regular-season win-loss records. The Celtics are in East Group B with the Nets, Pistons, Magic, and 76ers.
Each team will play four designated Group Play games, one against each opponent in its group, with two games at home and two on the road. “Cup Nights” will take place every Friday from Oct. 31 – Nov. 28, with additional Cup Nights on Tuesday, Nov. 25, and Wednesday, Nov. 26. The only NBA games played on Cup Nights will be Group Play games.
After the Group Play, the top team from each group, along with one wild card from each conference, will advance to the knockout stages. The wild cards will be the team from each conference with the best record in Group Play games that finished second in its group.
The Knockout Rounds will be single-elimination. Quarterfinals will be played in team markets, while the Semifinals and Championship will take place at a neutral site in Las Vegas.
Each game will count toward the regular-season standings, except the championship.
Another fast start
Fast starts are becoming the norm for these Celtics.
Boston outscored Philadelphia 38-25 in the first quarter, shooting 16-of-26 (61.5%) from the field and 5-of-13 (38.5%) from three while committing just one turnover. Meanwhile, Philadelphia shot 8-of-18 (44.4%) and turned it over four times, leading to seven points off turnovers for Boston.
Jaylen Brown (16 points) and Payton Pritchard (8 points) nearly outscored the 76ers themselves. Boston had as many assists (8) as Philadelphia had made field goals.
The Celtics have scored 30-plus points in the first quarter of five of their six games, posting quarter totals of 28, 30, 33, 34, 40, and 38 in order. They’ve shot at least 50% in every first quarter, going a combined 79-of-144 (54.8%) with 42 of those makes assisted (53.1%). Overall, they’ve outscored their opponents by +38 in first quarters this season.
Bend don’t break
The Celtics were in complete control for much of the first half, leading by 24 (64-40) with 3:34 left in the second quarter. From that point, the 76ers closed the half on a 17-4 run, cutting Boston’s lead to 11 at the break. By the 6:40 mark of the third quarter, Philadelphia had tied the game — a 32-8 run in total.
It could have spiraled from there. The 76ers were on a massive run, but the Celtics didn’t break and never allowed Philadelphia to take the lead. Boston was tested, but it was a classic bend-don’t-break performance, and they were able to sneak out a win.
Hugo Gonzalez’s motor is incredible
Payton Pritchard poked a ball loose. As players dove for it, the ball rolled quickly up the baseline. Hugo Gonzalez took off in a full-on dash, diving along the sideline as he tried to keep it from going out of bounds.
That brief sequence summed up the night from the rookie: relentless effort and energy plays every time he was on the floor.
He finished with five points (2/5 FG, 1/2 3PT), five rebounds, two assists, and two blocks, finishing +10 in 14:33. But the box score alone doesn’t do it justice. Gonzalez was one of the most impactful players on the floor, with his energy, high-level defense, and hustle. He sparked multiple momentum swings for the Celtics and played a significant role in the game.
Jaylen Brown continued his brilliant start to the season
The turnovers will need to be cleaned up, but Friday night was another strong outing for Brown, who has been brilliant for the Celtics to start the season. He finished with 32 points (13/19 FG, 4/7 3PT), six assists, three rebounds, a steal, and a block.
On the season, he is now averaging 27.7 points on 55% shooting from the field and 48.7% from three, along with 5.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists. He has scored at least 30 points in three of the Celtics’ six games this season.
This is the Jaylen Brown the Celtics needed, and he has answered the call, looking every bit like a potential All-NBA player.
Anfernee Simons was solid off the bench again
Simons finished with 19 points, four rebounds, two assists, and a block. It wasn’t his most efficient night, as he shot 7-of-21 (33.3%) from the field and 3-of-9 (33.3%) from three, but he posted a game-high +23 in 28 minutes. He has scored in double figures in every game this season and has topped 15 points twice.
Like everyone else, he’s still getting acclimated to the new team and system, but he’s been solid.
Another tough shooting night for Derrick White and Payton Pritchard
Derrick White and Payton Pritchard are still trying to find their shot from beyond the arc. White finished 2-of-7, while Pritchard went 1-of-9. On the season, White is shooting 16-of-63 (25.4%) and Pritchard is 8-of-46 (17.4%).
Last season, they finished fourth and fifth in three-point makes, respectively, and were two of seven players to make 250+ threes. White shot 38.4% from deep, while Pritchard shot 40.7%.
Water will eventually find its level, and when it does, it will add a whole new dynamic to this team.
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