NBA in London 2018: Boston Celtics beat Philadelphia 76ers 114-103 at The O2 Arena with second-half masterclass

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James Benge12 January 2018

The Boston Celtics produced a second-half masterclass for London’s NBA fans as they overcame a 22-point deficit to earn a 114-103 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Boston have made a habit of digging themselves out of holes this season, and repeated that trick as they ended Philly’s four game winning streak while extending their own run to seven.

Rookie-of-the-year front-runner Ben Simmons started the night determined to make an impression, using every inch of his 6ft 10in frame to dominate the guards unfortunate enough to be tasked with defending him.

The ball movement he set up allowed Sixers the space to get free beyond the arc and Reduce feasted, draining five of his first seven three pointers as the 76ers reached the half 57-48 up - the lead only having been cut as Kyrie Irving overcame an early shooting slump, missing five of his first six, to reach double digits by the half.

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AP

Not for nothing are Boston in possession of the Eastern Conference’s best record and the Celtics rose to the challenge in the second half, a 21-4 run in which rookie Jayson Tatum burst into life on the offensive end earning them the lead.

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Dave Benett/Getty Images for NBA London

In the final quarter the veteran came to spoil the young'uns’ party, 11-year veteran Al Horford making a string of decisive plays down the stretch as the Celtics put their foot to the floor and punished the 76ers for wasting their early lead.

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Philadelphia’s frustrations boiled over in the final minutes as Simmons turned from hero to villain with a cynical body check on Marcus Morris that saw both teams face off at half court, capping off a disappointing end to an evening where the 76ers had shown the promise of youth but perhaps not the maturity to claim victory.

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