BOSTON — This was far from an ordinary Thursday for the 76ers.
Despite not being cleared to play, talk of Markelle Fultz’s shot and practice performances dominated the morning shootaround media session at Equinox. Then during pregame, all the hoopla surrounded Joel Embiid being voted a 2018 NBA All-Star Game starter. And the Sixers finished the night by holding on to an 89-80 victory over the Boston Celtics at T.D. Garden.
The victory improved their record to 21-20 at the halfway point of the season. It also snapped a three-game skid to the Celtics (34-12), the Eastern Conference’s best team.