76ers 89 - 108 Celtics
Final
  for this game

Celtics resume playoff push against Philly

Mar 16, 2015 - 1:58 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Boston Celtics continue their push toward the postseason Monday with the Philadelphia 76ers in town.

The Celtics and Miami Heat are just a half-game behind Charlotte for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Indiana is a game ahead of the Celtics and Heat for the seventh seed.

Boston is riding a four-game winning streak and handed the Pacers a 93-89 setback Saturday night in Indy thanks to Tyler Zeller's 18 points. Brandon Bass, Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder scored 16 points apiece for the Celtics, who are 13-6 in their last 19 games and managed to shoot 42 percent.

The Celtics became the first team in eight games to shoot better than 40 percent from the field against the Pacers, ending the Indiana franchise record streak for holding consecutive opponents under 40 percent shooting at seven.

"Our guards were great," said Celtics coach Brad Stevens. "I thought our bigs did a really good job of handling those pick and rolls in the middle, which were tough."

The Celtics never trailed in the second half, although the Pacers got close on several occasions. Boston snapped a seven-game slide in Indy.

Boston has won three straight and eight of the last nine games at TD Garden, where it has a 17-16 mark this season.

The Celtics have two tough road games ahead against Oklahoma City and San Antonio.

Philadelphia went 2-3 on a recent homestand, which culminated with Saturday's 94-87 setback to the Brooklyn Nets.

The 76ers managed just 10 points in the third quarter and turned the ball over 17 times for 16 Brooklyn points. Nerlens Noel had 17 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, while Isaiah Canaan posted 13 points. Hollis Thompson led the reserves with 12 points for the Sixers, losers in 11 of the last 14 games.

"They're a prideful team, a veteran team, a well-coached team and we just weren't able to find a way to close the game out," Sixers coach Brett Brown said.

Thomas Robinson snatched 12 rebounds for the Sixers in defeat.

Philadelphia is riding a 13-game road losing streak and lost that many in a row as the guest twice last season. It is 5-27 on the road and dropped 14 consecutive games outside south Philly during a 15-game drought from Jan. 2 to March 21, 2013.

The Sixers are 0-3 against the Celtics this season and have dropped six of the last nine games between the Atlantic Division foes.






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