Celtics Cap Perfect Preseason With 125-120 OT Win Over 76ers

The Boston Celtics finished the preseason a perfect 4-0, outlasting the Philadelphia 76ers 125-120 in overtime Friday night at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. It took extra basketball, but Boston's deep bench outworked a Sixers squad that played most of its starters — and sent a clear message that the green-and-whites have real depth behind their rotation.


Boston Celtics guard driving to the basket against the Indiana Pacers at TD Garden


Philadelphia controlled the game for long stretches. The Sixers led 60-58 at halftime, then ripped off 34 third-quarter points to take a 94-84 edge into the fourth. Joel Embiid poured in a game-high 27 points, Tyrese Maxey added 22 points and six assists, and LeBron James chipped in 8 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in his first home game as a 76er. Jaylen Brown scored 20 points in 31 minutes in his first action against his old team.


But Boston closed the night like a team with something to prove. The Celtics outscored Philadelphia 31-21 in the fourth quarter and 10-5 in overtime to steal the win on the road.


Deep Bench Steals the Show


With most of Boston's regulars sitting out the exhibition finale, the end of the bench delivered the comeback. Hugo Gonzalez led the Celtics with 21 points off the bench, while Gabe McGlothan hauled in 13 rebounds as Boston dominated the glass.


Boston Celtics forward celebrating during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers


The numbers tell the story of the comeback. Boston out-rebounded Philadelphia 63-48, including 18 offensive boards, and knocked down 17 three-pointers despite shooting just 31 percent from deep. The 76ers made up for their cold perimeter shooting at the line, going 31-for-41 from the stripe, but couldn't close the game out.


The final minutes were pure drama. Down the stretch of regulation, Hayden Gray buried a 25-foot three-pointer with 2:58 left to push Boston ahead 111-110. Ron Harper Jr. tied the game at 113 with 2:16 remaining and again at 115 with 51.5 seconds to play. Philadelphia's Justin Edwards missed a 28-footer with 1.4 seconds left, sending the game to overtime at 115-115, where Boston's reserves pulled away.


Mazzulla Preaching Togetherness


After the win, head coach Joe Mazzulla pointed to the locker room culture he has been building all offseason as the engine behind the unbeaten preseason.


"It's something that is important to me and something that I try to give each team," Mazzulla said via CLNS Media. "I think it's one of the strengths of this locker room over the last few years, as it has been player-led."


Mazzulla acknowledged the coaching staff is always learning how to better teach that environment, pushing for more peer-to-peer accountability and ownership. Whatever the answer is, he added, the results so far speak for themselves.


What's Next: Opener in Detroit


The preseason math doesn't follow the team anywhere, though — Boston's record resets to 0-0. The real test arrives Tuesday, October 20, when the Celtics open the 2026-27 regular season against the Detroit Pistons at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.


A 4-0 preseason means little in the standings, but the depth on display Friday night should have Celtics fans feeling good. If injuries strike or rotations tighten, Boston showed it has young legs ready to step up. Now the games start counting for real.

Location: Boston, MA, USA

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