Sixers Avenge Playoff Loss, Beat Celtics in Boston

Evan Turner scored 25 points, Jrue Holiday added 21 and the Philadelphia 76ers held off several fourth-quarter rallies to beat the Boston Celtics 106-100 on Friday night.

The Celtics cut the lead to four twice in the final period, 83-79 and 102-98, but couldn't get any closer and fell to 2-3 with their only victories coming over winless Washington. The 76ers won their second game in three nights to improve to 3-2.
 
Turner had 11 rebounds and Holiday had 14 assists. Dorell Wright and Thaddeus Young scored 15 points apiece.
 
Paul Pierce scored 24 for Boston, and Kevin Garnett finished with 19. Rajon Rondo had 14 points and assisted on 20 of the Celtics' 37 baskets.
 
Boston's last lead was 10-9 on a 20-footer by Courtney Lee midway through the first quarter. Holiday then had a dunk put Philadelphia ahead to stay.
 
The Celtics made a late run after the 76ers took a 100-88 lead on a reverse layup by Holiday with 4:19 to go. Boston closed to 100-94 on a short jumper by Jason Terry, one free throw each by Garnett and Pierce and a field goal by Pierce.
 
Young stopped the run with a short hook shot with 1:44 remaining, but Pierce made the next two baskets and the Celtics had a chance, trailing 102-98 with 26 seconds to go.
 
Turner was immediately fouled and sank both free throws. Then he converted a dunk with 17 seconds remaining for a 106-98 lead that ended Boston's last hope.
 
The Celtics scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to trim Philadelphia's lead to 83-79. Garnett made a jumper and Terry connected on a 3-pointer.
 
The Sixers responded with a 10-0 run to take a 93-79 lead with 8:21 left. But the Celtics scored the next seven, making it 93-86 when Terry sank a 17-footer.
 
The 76ers carried a 57-45 lead into halftime and increased their advantage to 73-58 when Wright was fouled attempting a 3-point shot and made all three free throws with 5:46 to go in the third.
 
Then the Celtics went on a 7-0 run on a jumper and two free throws by Brandon Bass, two more free throws by Pierce and another by Bass. That cut the lead to 73-65.

Terry's 3-pointer with 56 seconds left in the third quarter made it 79-72, but Turner scored Philadelphia's next four points for an 83-74 lead.