Boston Celtics 99-108 Philadelphia 76ers: Twitter reacts to Sixers' dominating win over Celtics | NBA Preseason 2020-21

The Philadelphia 76ers came out of the gate somewhat sluggish on the road against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. The Celtics took an early lead, while Joel Embiid and the rest of the Sixers offense could not find the basket.

The Sixers' new head coach Doc Rivers called a timeout with just over 8 minutes left in the first quarter, with his team down 11-6, and the momentum of the game shifted immediately.

The Sixers came out of this timeout with a new energy, a faster-paced offense, and strong defensive possessions. The Celtics would only score 8 points in the rest of the quarter. This was part of the Sixers' 23-8 run to close out the first quarter.

On paper, the #sixers squad that will face the #celtics tonight is definitely better balanced than the team that was swept by Boston in the bubble.

— Michael K-B (@therealmikekb) December 15, 2020

Game day here already?! 😱😱 #Sixers pic.twitter.com/SKk1OJ84ju

— Brian Jacobs - The Painted Lines (@BrianMikeJacobs) December 15, 2020

Celtics come out hot

Boston Celtics v Toronto Raptors - Game One

The Boston Celtics looked very strong out of the gate on both ends of the court. Marcus Smart shone on defense, and Jayson Tatum picked up right where he left off with his offensive brilliance. Tatum finished with 10 points.

Let's get this game going 🏀 pic.twitter.com/1YIevUJFDf

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 16, 2020

🆙 and easy pic.twitter.com/bvpqcecSGU

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 16, 2020

Payton Prichard and Jeff Teague had good nights for the Celtics off the bench, scoring a combined 34 points. The Celtics were playing from behind from the second quarter and could not overcome the deficit created by the Sixers' starters.

End of Q2️⃣ pic.twitter.com/dMe204WJX2

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 16, 2020

Sixers take over, new stars shine

New faces Dwight Howard, Danny Green, and first-round draft pick Tyrese Maxey had a great night for the Philadelphia 76ers, lighting up the stat sheet all night.

Doc Rivers commented on Maxey's performance after the game on Tuesday.

“He’s good. He’s a good player and is gonna push for minutes” - Doc Rivers on #Sixers rookie Tyrese Maxey

— Justin Grasso (@JGrasso_) December 16, 2020

Maxey scored 8 points in 12 minutes against the Celtics, while also showcasing his playmaking ability with 3 assists.

Dwight’s first slam as a Sixer! 🔨(🎥: @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/0rtMvDKwyF

— theScore (@theScore) December 16, 2020

Tyrese Maxey impressive in the #Sixers preseason opening win pic.twitter.com/UFAOIrHZvN

— Schut Basketball Institute (@SchutBasketball) December 16, 2020

Danny Green knocks down the three #Celtics 13 #76ers 18 Q1 pic.twitter.com/hxDNJGyNtL

— Sports ②④x⑦ (@B_R_R_D) December 16, 2020

Sixers keep their foot on the pedal in the 2nd half

From the beginning of this game, the intensity felt much higher than most preseason environments.

This could be attributed to the players' excitement to be back on the court, but both teams were playing with considerable urgency for most of the game.

the celtics: 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺marcus smart: pic.twitter.com/RXRv5t0xHl

— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) December 16, 2020

Smile if Ben simmons is better than you pic.twitter.com/jmIdSV7iFl

— Ben ❄️🎄(4-8-1) (@PrimeTimeBen) December 15, 2020

It's safe to say Sixers fans are feeling good about this team and after a strong performance against the Celtics, they should be. Ben Simmons finished with 10 points and 6 assists on Tuesday.

Even pre-season Sixers vs Celtics has me yelling at my tv

— Chase (@wcruben1) December 16, 2020

Philadelphia 76ers finish strong

The Philadelphia 76ers would hold their lead for the rest of the game on their way to a decisive 108-99 victory.

Sixers win preseason openerShake Milton game high 19 pointsJoel Embiid 18 points in first halfTyrese Maxey 8 points in 4thTobias Harris 16 points, 9 rbs Ben Simmons 10 points, 6 assistsFun team! pic.twitter.com/qA5SxLkMMY

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) December 16, 2020

Good first dress rehearsal. #HereTheyCome pic.twitter.com/LTpQKWb3IC

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 16, 2020

SIXERS WIN! 😤 pic.twitter.com/QbqKWGKJcb

— sadie ツ (@Sixers_Sadie) December 16, 2020

Brad Stevens says of tonight's game, "I thought Jeff Teague was excellent tonight. I thought the young guys were good tonight. But we’re gonna need more if we want to have a chance to be good."

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 16, 2020

The Philadelphia 76ers' next game is on the road against the Indiana Pacers on Friday, December 18. The Boston Celtics will go on to play Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, December 18.