With Phillies season over, Eagles season ongoing and Flyers season beginning shortly, the other team in Philadelphia begun their exibition schedule tonight. The Sixers, now with last year's first-rounder Nerlens Noel in the lineup, traveled to Boston to visit Evan Turner and the Celtics to open the preseason. The Sixers have not been the talk of the city for quite a while, but it seems like they may be one of the only ones with a plan. Whtether or not it works out in the long run? Well, we will see. The Orlando Summer League gave us a preview as to what Nerlens Noel could do, but tonight was the first time we'd see him in game action.
The Game: Brett Brown went with Tony Wroten and Hollis Thompson in the backcourt, Henry Sims and Luc Mbah a Moute at the forward spots at Nerlens Noel in the middle. Hollis Thompson would highlight the first half for the Sixers, helping them out with an early three-pointer to go ahead 7-3. Over the next three minutes, the Sixers would go on a 7-2 run, capped by a Thompson layup for his tenth point of the opening quarter. The Celtics would battle back though, cutting the lead to seven by the end of the first, 26-17.
The Sixers would extend their lead in the second to ten with a Casper Ware shot from downtown, making it a 33-23 game with 9:23 remaining in the half. Boston would battle back to tie things up at 35 thanks to a 12-2 run thanks to a big three pointer off the hands of former Sixer, Evan Turner. The Celtics would take a small four point lead before allowing the Sixers to chip away. Tony Wroten sunk one from the line and Henry Sims hit a turnaround jumper. A pair of Hollis Thompson free throws and a three-ball put the Sixers back in front, 43-39 with 3:27 to go. The two team would go into the locker rooms at the half with the Sixers leading, 48-44.
Halfway through this one, Nerlens Noel failed to do anything noteworthy, grabbing two rebounds, dishing out an assist while tallying three personal fouls. Hollis Thompson, meanwhile, was hot from the start. At halftime, he was 5-for-5 from the field and 3-for-3 from downtown, good enough for 15 points. Wroten had eight points and three assists at the half. Brandon Bass led the Celtics at half with nine points while Evan Turner pitched in eight of his own.
The Celts would open the third quarter on a 9-0 run, taking a 53-48 lead over Philadelphia with 8:09 remaining in the game. Tony Wroten would bring the Sixers to within one, thanks to his nagging consistency to get to the rim. After sinking a bucket, he came back on the next possession to get fouled and hit two free throws, making it 53-52. On the next play down the court, Wroten would hit Nerlens for his first points of the game, an alley-oop, to give Philadelphia a one point lead. The Celtics took a 66-61 lead with 2:39 remaining in the quarter thanks to a pair of threes from Marcus Thornton. The Sixers would keep pace with Boston, with a five point deficit to overcome after three quarters, 70-65.
The Celtics came out firing in the fourth, opening things with a 13-2 run, extending their lead to 83-67 with 8:37 remaining in the game. With 6:09 to go and Boston ahead 87-69, Nerlens Noel picked up his fifth personal along with a technical foul. Evan Turner made the free throw to extend the lead to 19. Boston wouldn't let the Sixers get back in this one, closing it out by 20 points, 98-78.
Notable Statistics:
- Tony Wroten – 19PTS (6-14 FG), 6REB, 5AST
- Hollis Thompson – 15PTS (5-5FG), 3 REB
- Nerlens Noel – 4PTS (2-9FG), 6REB, 5PF
- Evan Turner (BOS) – 15PTS (5-11FG), 10REB, 6AST
Impact: Obviously, this team still has a lot of work to do, as they are in the midst of an all out rebuild. While Nerlens Noel may not have turned many heads tonight, I believe it was a good sign to see him play a full game at a fast pace. Sure, he got a taste of it in the summer league, but tonight was a step in the right direction in terms of conditioning for the young center, despite the foul trouble. Hollis Thompson and Tony Wroten played very well and could end up being big contributors to the team this year. Arnett Moultrie, a name who you may not have thought of, had a nice night, scoring 12 points on 6-10 shooting. Henry Sims scored six and grabbed ten rebounds. Unfortunately, they were burned by former Sixer, Evan Turner, who turned in a double-double on the night.
Up Next: The Sixers host the Charlotte Bobcats Hornets on Wednesday night at 7:05pm. The game can be seen on The Comcast Network. After that, they will travel to Minnesota for a matchup with Thaddeus Young and the T'Wolves on Friday night at 8pm.
Brandon Apter is a writer for Sixerdelphia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ApterShock
#TogetherWeBuild
