Celtics win shows 76ers' potential, says Embiid

Joel Embiid says the Philadelphia 76ers' win over the Boston Celtics shows their potential after a mixed start to their season so far.

The 76ers ran out 118-114 winners against the reigning NBA champions, with Tyrese Maxey leading the way with 33 points and Embiid also providing 27 after being passed fit to start.

The former MVP, who was ejected in their last game, twisted his ankle after taking a tumble in the pre-game warm-ups but was cleared to start after a medical examination.

He was 4-of-5 from 3-point range and added nine rebounds as well, as Philadelphia racked up an eighth win in 11 games after making a 3-14 start.

"We got a high ceiling," said Embiid. "It's all about us putting it together.

"I don't think that was close to our best basketball, but we got a pretty good chance. So, it's all about looking for some luck, and staying healthy."

It was just the sixth time this season that Embiid, Maxey and Paul George, who has suffered with knee injuries so far, were all available for the same game.

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The 76ers dominated throughout the game and did not miss a free throw (19-for-19), and Maxey pointed out how their recent run has bolstered their confidence.

"[We feel] a lot different," Maxey said "But I said it back then, just give us some time.

"It was difficult because guys were in and out, and we finally thought that we were going to have everybody playing. I got hurt. That sucks. You know what I mean? I had a little rhythm going a little bit, and then I get hurt, and then we got to restart, figure it all out. I come back; Joel gets hurt. We got to figure it all out again.

"I think the biggest thing that we've really done is we've come together a lot more. I feel like we had a lot of new guys. It's difficult. You don't know how you want to play. You don't know what combinations go with each other. I think we're finally figuring that out."

The Celtics, who had to play the second half without Kristaps Porzingis due to an ankle problem, came close to turning things around, cutting a 14-point deficit down to two in the last 10 seconds, but it was too little, too late.

"I just think we just came out too casual," Jaylen Brown said. "I just think we was walking to our spots.

"Nobody was sprinting down the floor, just kind of hanging around, just trying to veer back to get the ball instead of just pushing it down the court and just being aggressive. I feel like we just started off the game just slow, and they took advantage of that."