Tyrese Maxey Carries 76ers Past Celtics Without Embiid

Tyrese Maxey carried a short-handed 76ers to a 102-100 home win over the Celtics, finishing with 21 points, nine assists and five rebounds, while Kelly Oubre Jr.’s late putback sealed the victory. Joel Embiid was ruled out with right knee soreness — “He had some imaging on that this afternoon and doctors are here tonight to go over that with him,” coach Nick Nurse said — and Philly’s depth showed up: Justin Edwards had 22 off the bench and Andre Drummond a 14-13 double-double. The win moved Philadelphia to 7-4; Boston slipped to 5-7 despite Jaylen Brown’s 24. Merlin sees a team tested and not broken: Maxey’s takeover is real and Philly’s role players can cover short stretches without Embiid, but sustained success hinges on the big man’s health. Boston’s backcourt punch from Derrick White and Brown keeps them dangerous, yet their supporting cast must find consistency.