Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics will have one more opportunity to tune up for the regular season opener against the Miami Heat when they face the Philadelphia 76ers at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday night at TD Garden in Boston, MA (CSNNE/WEEI).
Boston enters Sunday's finale with a 3-4 record in the preseason and is riding a two-game winning streak. The Celtics split their first two preseason games overseas in Istanbul (a 97-91 loss) and Milan (a 105-75) win and lost their first three exhibition games stateside, dropping contests to the New York Knicks (98-95), Sixers (107-75) and Brooklyn Nets (97-96). The Celtics won their last two games against the Nets (115-85) and Knicks (109-98), both in New York.
In the first preseason meeting between the Celtics and 76ers, Spencer Hawes had 17 points and eight rebounds and five Sixers players reached double-digit scoring en route to the big 107-75 win in Philly. Thaddeus Young had 15 points, Nick Young scored 14, Lavoy Allen had 11 points and Evan Turner finished with 10 points. Philadelphia shot 48.9 percent from the field and out-rebounded Boston, 48-42.
The Celtics, meanwhile, had just two double-digit scorers, Paul Pierce (16 points) and Brandon Bass (11 points), and posted a shooting percentage of 38.0. Jared Sullinger had nine points and five boards, Jeff Green scored eight and Darko Milicic chipped in with six points. Rajon Rondo had four points and six assists and Kevin Garnett was held out of the game, as it was the first game of a back-to-back.
Boston opens up the regular season against the Heat on October 30 in Miami.
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