Joel Embiid had 27 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots, Tyrese Maxey added 25 points and nine rebounds and the host Philadelphia 76ers held on for a 106-103 victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.
Tobias Harris scored 17 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. contributed 14 for the Sixers, who won their sixth game in a row following a one-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in their season opener.
Kristaps Porzingis led the Celtics with 29 points, Derrick White added 19 and Jayson Tatum had 16 points, 15 rebounds and six assists.
Trailing 106-103, the Celtics had a chance to tie the game, but Porzingis missed a 3-pointer with 6.2 seconds left.
Boston used a 10-0 spurt to slice a 14-point deficit to just four, 104-100, when Tatum made a driving layup with 1:01 left in the fourth quarter.
Embiid responded with a turnaround jumper for a 106-100 advantage with 39.7 seconds remaining. Jaylen Brown followed with a 3-pointer to pull the Celtics within three.
After Boston closed within 90-84 early in the fourth, Maxey hit a runner in the lane and Harris knocked down a short jumper for a 10-point lead with 7:11 left.
Harris converted a trey from the top of the key for a 102-87 lead with 3:45 remaining.
The Sixers pulled ahead 49-44 with 3:41 left in the second quarter following a 3-pointer by De’Anthony Melton.
Porzingis posted up, hit a layup and then made 1 of 2 free throws to cut the Boston deficit to two.
Oubre dropped in a triple from the corner for a 59-52 advantage with 49 seconds remaining.
Maxey’s floater in the lane as the buzzer sounded gave the Sixers a 61-54 lead at halftime.
Porzingis kept the Celtics close with 16 points in 16 minutes in the first half.
Maxey led the Sixers with 14 points before the break.
The Celtics sliced the deficit to 67-65 with seven minutes remaining in the third quarter when Tatum hit a deep 3-pointer.
Sam Hauser made a 3-pointer with 3:25 to go, and Boston closed within 72-71.
The Sixers responded with a 9-0 run to end the third for a double-digit lead at 81-71.
–Field Level Media
