After dominating the New Zealand Breakers by 55 points nearly a week ago, the Philadelphia 76ers got a taste of their own medicine in the preseason.
The Boston Celtics served them up a 50-point loss of their own.
The NBA Champions surely weren’t holding back on Saturday night.
Both teams missed key players, as the Celtics were without Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford. On the other side, the Sixers gave most of their veterans a night off as they entered the matchup fresh off of a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves one night prior.
It was clear the presence of multiple All-Stars for Boston’s side played a big part in putting the Sixers away with a blowout victory.
@Celtics_Junkies: The Celtics preseason is going … as expected 🔥
@iinagelo: The Celtics might be the first team in NBA history that has depth that goes 20 men deep
@PerSources: Yeah the Celtics are cooking everyone this year lol
@lockedinjb: You know the NBA is back when you see the Celtics owning the 76ers
Missing three out of three All-Stars on night two of a back-to-back against the NBA Champions was always going to be a recipe for disaster for the Sixers.
Fortunately, a preseason record won’t mean anything in a week.
The exhibition schedule is there for two reasons. One, for proven players to get back into shape ahead of a long year. Two, for young players to develop and showcase their skills before spending more time on the bench when the games count for something.
This preseason has had all eyes on the rookie first-round pick, Jared McCain. The situation was the same in Boston on Saturday night.
@dan_olinger: Jared McCain rips Jayson Tatum clean on one end, then gets by Kornet w/ a scoop finish on the other
@NBATV: The crossover and finish through contact for Jared McCain 💪
@UsherNBA: Kid is tough!
@IAmNotACritic: Jared McCain better be in the rotation.
@whereisfenner: Jared McCain so tuff too bad he plays for Philly
With Tyrese Maxey out for the night, McCain picked up the opportunity to start, and he collected over 30 minutes of playing time.
The former Duke star led the Sixers in shots taken with 21 attempts. He struggled from three, knocking down just one of his eight attempts, but he finished the game with 20 points. It wasn’t an efficient scoring outing, but there were certainly impressive flashes in that department.
Defensively, McCain finished with three rebounds and three assists.
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