The Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 125-119, at TD Garden on Friday.

The Celtics (15-4) moved to 9-0 at home with a convincing 125-119 win over another Eastern Conference, the 76ers (12-7). Philadelphia moved to 5-4 on the road, but the team was missing several key players, such as Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Even in those circumstances, the 76ers fought hard to get the win but came up short. The Celtics were the better early on and raced to an eight-point lead after the opening 12 minutes (44-36). However, the 76ers responded with a 36-25 second quarter, giving them a three-point lead at the break. Boston didn’t give up and shortened the gap after a 26-25 score in the third quarter. The Celtics would keep the momentum alive and complete the comeback in the final 12 minutes by outscoring Philadelphia by a 30-22 score. It was a huge win for Boston, but the 76ers deserve praise for their performance, especially since they were missing their top two scoring threats.

Jayson Tatum was the leading scorer for the Celtics with 21 points before he was ejected in the second half. Tatum also chipped in with seven rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block. Derrick White contributed 21 points, six rebounds and five assists across 32 minutes. Jaylen Brown had 20 points, four rebounds and four steals. Al Horford had 20 points and six boards. Jrue Holiday contributed 13 points, six assists and five rebounds. Sam Hauser added 11 points and five rebounds off the bench.

Patrick Beverley recorded 26 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to lead the Sixers. De’Anthony Melton recorded 21 points and four rebounds. Paul Reed chipped in with 14 points, the same tally as Tobias Harris. Harris, however, also added five rebounds, four steals and three assists. Marcus Morris notched 13 points and seven boards. Robert Covington delivered 18 points, five rebounds and five steals coming off the bench.