The Philadelphia 76ers went up against the Boston Celtics without their spearheads in an away game. Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey-less side depended on Patrick Beverley and he delivered just what they expected from him. The game went down to the wire and the Celtics almost spilled their victory towards the end. However, the in-form Boston side secured the win despite losing Jayson Tatum in the third quarter over an ejection call.

Let’s find out three key takeaways from the Celtics’ last-minute pull-off.

1. Jayson Tatum ejection almost put Celtics in jeopardy

The Sixers, led by Pat Bev and De’Anthony Melton, stepped into the locker room after the first half with an encouraging lead. This situation definitely required Jayson Tatum to blow up in the last two quarters like he usually does to save the game. However, on this occasion, JT couldn’t go past the third quarter as the refs ejected him over a double technical call.

With less than 2 seconds remaining in the quarter, refs called an offensive foul on Tatum and slapped him with tech. The star further went to argue and attracted another tech, eventually forcing an ejection. He ended the game with 21 points and 7 rebounds.

2. Pat Bev and RoCo are a deadly duo on both ends

Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey-less line up required a leader and orchestrator. Patrick Beverley took up the job, and importantly, he impressed everyone. The 35-year-old point guard led the offense with 26 points and recorded a 10-15 FG. Moreover, he was supported by De’Anthony Melton and Robert Covington, dropping 21 and 18 points, respectively. Especially, RoCo came off the bench and boosted the Sixers’ offense in quick time.

3. Al Horford proves age is just a number

37-year-old Al-Horford not only competed against the Sixers on Friday but also with his teammates. The veteran center dropped 20 points with 6 rebounds and 2 assists, joining his three teammates who scored above 20 points. Importantly, 6 of them came in the crunch moments of the 4th quarter. Horford compensated for the loss of Tatum in the last quarter, taking the responsibility of dropping crucial buckets.

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Nevertheless, the Celtics keep their home record clean and stay on top of the Eastern Conference table with a 15-4 record and 9-0 home record. The Celtics have a long season ahead of them and they have had complaints of cooling off, going deep into the season, in the past. Moreover, the Celtics’ new trio hasn’t been put to test in the season so far. The Boston side faces the Indiana Pacers on their next outing in the In-season Tournament quarter-finals in an away game.

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Will the Celtics ride on their success and qualify to the semi-finals? Let us know in the comments.