BOSTON -- After trailing by as many as 26 points in the first half, the undermanned 76ers came all the way back in the second half to bring it to three points.
That's as close as they would come. Boston's 16-4 late fourth-quarter run put the Sixers away for good, as they lost, 107-96, at the TD Garden.
Eleven first-half turnovers led to 16 points for Boston, and while the 76ers limited those in the second half and made a strong third-quarter push outscoring Boston 27-15, it was too much to complete the comeback.
Luc Mbah a Moute led all Sixers with 18 points on 7 of 14 shooting while Hollis Thompson added 16 points off the bench.
With Michael Carter-Williams out with a strained toe on his right foot, 6-foot-9 shooting guard JaKarr Sampson started at point guard and played 12 minutes and scored five points.
Turning point
After storming back in the third quarter, the Sixers trailed by just three points in the fourth with under eight minutes to play. But Celtics guard Marcus Thornton made sure the Sixers didn't complete the comeback. He hit a three to push it to six, and when Thompson answered with a three of his own, Thornton came back and hit another. After a defensive stand, Marcus Smart drove to the lane for a layup to push the lead back to a more comfortable eight points.
NBA
Home sweet home? Not so much
Nerlens Noel grew up just around the corner from Boston's TD Garden, so you can imagine why he'd want to put on a good show. After the dust cleared, he's probably wishing he played better. Noel missed the rim completely on a couple shot attempts, and finished with eight points and seven rebounds on 1 for 5 shooting.
Stat-egic
They're called free throws for a reason ... tell the Sixers that. The Sixers shot an abysmal 15 of 31 (48.4 percent) from the charity stripe, including two big misses by Mbah a Moute with the Sixers down eight with under six minutes to play. Gotta hit the freebies.
The Sixers came into Friday's game dead last in the NBA in three-point field goal percentage at 41 percent. At the end of the third quarter -- one in which they outscored the Celtics by 12 points -- they were shooting 7 of 14 (50 percent) from deep. A cold fourth quarter from deep pushed them back to 11 for 25 (45 percent).
Welcome, kid
A couple days ago, Tim Frazier was playing for the Maine Red Claws. On Friday night, he found himself just south of Maine in Boston -- but for the Sixers. It was his NBA debut, and the Sixers were in desperate need of a point guard. That's why Frazier played a whopping 35 minutes. The results? A very debut-like five points ... but 11 assists is certainly something to be happy about.
What’s next?
The Sixers won't have any time to dwell on the loss, as they host the Charlotte Hornets Saturday night. The Sixers lost to the Hornets back on Dec. 19, 109-91, with Tony Wroten leading the way with 19 points. That obviously won't be the case now with Wroten out. Carter-Williams is doubtful to play, too.
And it only gets harder -- much harder -- on Monday, as the best of the west comes to town, the Golden State Warriors. They definitely don't have a guard problem.