PHILADELPHIA — When the Philadelphia 76ers were going through their historically horrendous 1972-73 season, which produced just nine wins, the team was thought to be the league’s spa. They were the team other teams wanted to play to get better.
The 2015-16 team, which also has produced just nine wins, has taken the spa thing a step further.
Boston’s trip to the spa on Sunday night was a bit bumpy at times but the Celtics left the Wells Fargo
Center feeling a little better about themselves.
Led by the overpowering Amir Johnson and a solid floor game from Evan Turner (17 points, nine rebounds, six assists) the Celtics (40-30), having lost four of their previous six games and dropping from third to sixth place in the Eastern Division playoff standings, received the massage and pedicure they so sorely needed with a 120-105 win.
With the 76ers playing without bigs Jahlil Okafor (torn right meniscus) and Richaun Holmes (right Achilles tendon soreness), Philadelphia coach Brett Brown knew his young and undermanned team was in trouble in the paint. And it was obvious from the opening tap.
In the first quarter alone, Boston outscored the 76ers (9-61) in the paint, 20-4, and owned the backboards, 19-12.
Johnson was a beast underneath, hitting nine of 10 shots for 18 points, and Jared Sullinger bulled his way to 17 hard-fought points and 13 rebounds.
But when the 76ers began to make a third-quarter push, getting to within 76-70, it was the Celtics’ Isaiah Thomas (26 points, 10-for-10 from the line) who pushed back. The diminutive All-Star guard, who averaged 25.7 points a game against the 76ers in their previous three meetings, had just eight points at the half on 2-for-9 shooting. In the third quarter, Thomas knocked down 13 points, including a three at the buzzer, giving Boston an 88-79 lead.
Keeping the 76ers in the game was 32-year-old Carl Landry. Battling his way against the Celtics’ collection of trees, Landry scored 26 points, grabbed eight boards and allowed Philadelphia to stay within single digits throughout most of the fourth quarter.
A floater by Nerlens Noel, off a feed from Ish Smith, got the 76ers to within 96-91, but a 17-8 Celtics run put the game away.
NOTES: It was announced late Saturday night that C Joel Embiid will be spending the next few weeks in Qatar rehabbing his twice-injure, twice-surgically repaired right foot. According to the 76ers, the trip to Aspetar, a well-respected orthopedic and sports medicine facility in Doha, was previously scheduled. Team personnel are accompanying Embiid, who arrived in Qatar earler this week. … Philadelphia PF Jahlil Okafor will be undergoing surgery on Tuesday on his torn right meniscus. The small tear will be repaired in Florida, though head coach Brett Brown said before the game that he did not know who was performing the surgery. … Brown did say that he is expecting PF Richaun Holmes (right Achilles strain) and SF Robert Covington (concussion protocol) to suit up on Wednesday when the team takes on the Nuggets in Denver. … Celtics coach Brad Stevens, addressing his team’s struggles of late, said, “Go by your gut, go by human nature, and focus on what you can control. We need to get back to playing as well as we can.” … Sunday night’s game was the start of one of 19 back-to-backs for the Celtics.