76ers vs. Celtics score, results: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown star in Boston's victory on Bill Russell tribute night

Gilbert McGregor

76ers vs. Celtics score, results: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown star in Boston's victory on Bill Russell tribute night image

After a turbulent offseason, the Celtics got the 2022-23 season off on the right foot.

Led by interim head coach Joe Mazzulla, Boston played off of the momentum of its home crowd en route to a 126-117 victory over the 76ers. In the win, the Celtics were fueled by the duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who each scored 35 points to combine for over half of the team's scoring offense.

For the Sixers, it was James Harden that led the way with 35 points on 9-of-14 shooting while Joel Embiid finished with 26 points and 15 rebounds, but it wasn't quite enough.

The Sporting News tracked live scoring updates and highlights from 76ers vs. Celtics on Tuesday. Catch up on the action you might have missed.

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76ers vs. Celtics score

Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
76ers 29 34 25 29 117
Celtics 24 39 35 28 126

76ers vs. Celtics updates, highlights from opening night game

(All times Eastern)

Final: Celtics 126, 76ers 117

10:10 p.m. — Make it a 1-0 start to the season for the Celtics.

A third-quarter takeover from Jayson Tatum alters the momentum of things as Boston pulls away to outscore Philadelphia 63-54 in the second half after things were tied up at the break.

Tatum and Jaylen Brown each finished with 35 points apiece, a notable occurrence for teammates on opening night.

10:02 p.m. — A 3 from Jaylen Brown brings his total on the night to 32 points and gives the Celtics a 15-point lead with just over three minutes to play.

This one might be out of reach.

Timeout Philadelphia as Boston leads 118-103. 3:19 remains in regulation.

9:55 p.m. — As time dwindles, Boston is maintaining its double-digit lead.

It's Celtics 115, Sixers 102 with 4:11 remaining in regulation.

9:48 p.m. — Philly is looking to claw back in but Boston continues to hold them at bay.

An and-one opportunity from Grant Williams puts the Celtics up 114-102 with 6:35 remaining in regulation. Williams is up  to 14 points in 17 minutes and can add to his total after the timeout on the floor.

Can the Sixers stage a late rally?

End of Third Quarter: Celtics 98, 76ers 88

9:35 p.m. — The Celtics are beginning to take command in this one as they take a 10-point lead into the fourth.

Jayson Tatum has taken over, scoring 17 points in the third quarter to bring his total on the game up to 33 points.

Jaylen Brown is up to 22 points through three.

For the Sixers, James Harden's 31 points lead the way, while Joel Embiid has registered 19 points and 10 rebounds but he's also committed five turnovers.

As Boston's lead grows, so, too does the energy at TD Garden. Philadelphia has its work cut out in the fourth.

9:25 p.m. — Boston continues to build on that momentum as its lead ballooned to as big as 12 points late in the third.

The 76ers will look to make a move before this one gets away from them.

Boston leads 93-82 with 1:50 to go in the third. Timeout on the floor.

9:15 p.m. — The Celtics are building momentum as we approach the midway point of the third as a Jaylen Brown dunk gives Boston a six-point lead.

It's Celtics 78, 76ers 72 with 6:41 remaining in the quarter.

Jayson Tatum is up to a team-high 24 points but Brown is not far behind with 22 points on the night.

James Harden still leads all scorers with 25 points to go along with six assists.

9:00 p.m — We've got some fireworks 20 seconds into the second half.

After Joel Embiid and Marcus Smart get tangled up under the basket, Smart is assessed a personal foul and a technical foul for tripping Embiid. James Harden drains the technical free throw to bring his total to 23 points on the night.

Halftime: 76ers 63, Celtics 63

8:42 p.m. — Things are back where we started after two quarters as we're knotted up at 63 to end the first half.

After cold first quarters, both teams warmed up in the second as the Sixers are now shooting 50.0 percent from the field while the Celtics are shooting  54.8 percent from the field.

James Harden leads all scorers with 22 points (on 5 of 9 shooting) while Tobias Harris (14 points) and Joel Embiid (11 points) are the other two Sixers in double-figures.

For the Celtics, Jaylen Brown has a team-high 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Jayson Tatum isn't too far behind with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting and Malcolm Brogdon is showing his value early on with 10 points off the bench.

8:33 p.m. — After trailing by eight points, the Celtics go on a quick 6-0 run, capped by an and-one finish from Jayson Tatum in transition.

with 3:11 remaining in the half, the 76ers lead 55-53.

Tatum and Jaylen Brown each have 14 points to lead the way for the Celtics while Philadelphia is led by James Harden's 19 points and 14 points from Tobias Harris.

8:24 p.m. — It's a battle at TD Garden as the Celtics and Sixers are tied at 35 early on in the second.

Jayson Tatum's up to 11 points while Malcolm Brogdon has chipped in with eight points off the bench.

While James Harden rests, Joel Embiid is looking to get going — he's 1 of 4 from the field and has just five points, but Philadelphia is looking to feed the big fella with Al Horford (two), Noah Vonleh (two) and Grant Williams (three) each in foul trouble.

End of First Quarter: 76ers 29, Celtics 24

8:12 p.m. — At the end of one, the Sixers have a five-point lead.

James Harden is up to a game-high 16 points thanks to 8-of-8 shooting from the free throw line.

As a team, Philadelphia is 11 of 14 from the charity stripe so far, making up for a cold night (7 of 20) from the field.

Jayson Tatum leads the way for the Celtics with eight points on 2-of-3 shooting but the team is shooting just 8 of 21 (38.1 percent) from the field and 2 of 9 (22.2 percent) from 3-point range.

8:04 p.m. — James Harden in midseason form already. The former MVP drills a stepback 3 while drawing a foul from Grant Williams. 4-point play.

Harden's got 13 early points on 3-of-4 shooting in addition to a perfect 5-of-5 from the charity stripe.

7:52 p.m. — At the first break in action, the Sixers lead 14-11 with 6:41 left in the first quarter.

Tobias Harris' seven points lead the way for Philadelphia while Boston is led by seven points from Jayson Tatum.

7:50 p.m — There's foul trouble on both sides now as Joel Embiid picks up his second foul early on.

The Sixers will keep Embiid in despite his foul situation, which will be one to monitor throughout the night.

7:44 p.m. — We've got our first review of the season as an Al Horford closeout on James Harden is ruled a Flagrant 1.

That's two fouls for Horford, signaling early foul trouble for Boston.

Harden sinks all three freebies to cut into the deficit. The Celtics lead 9-6 with 8:44 remaining in the first.

7:39 p.m. — Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart gets Boston on the board first.

The 2022-23 NBA season is officially underway.

Pregame

7:30 p.m. — Before things get underway, the Celtics honored the late Bill Russell with a pregame ceremony, including a speech from Jaylen Brown.

7:00 p.m. — The starters are in:

The Sixers will go with James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, P.J. Tucker and Joel Embiid.

Boston's going with Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford.

What channel is 76ers vs. Celtics on?

76ers vs. Celtics will air on TNT. Viewers can also stream the game on Watch TNT or Sling TV.

Fans in the U.S. can watch the biggest games of the 2022-23 NBA season on Sling TV. Stream Sling Orange for $35/month to catch all regular season games on TNT, ESPN & ABC. For games on NBA TV, subscribe to Sling Orange & Sports Extra for $46/month. Local regional blackout restrictions apply.

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76ers vs. Celtics start time

  • Date: Tuesday, Oct. 18
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET | 4:30 p.m. PT

76ers vs. Celtics will tip off around 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Oct. 18. The game will be played at the TD Garden in Boston.

76ers schedule 2022-23

Here are Philadelphia's first five games of the 2022-23 regular season:

Date Opponent Time (ET) TV channel
Oct. 18 at Celtics 7:30 p.m. TNT
Oct. 20 vs. Bucks 7:30 p.m. TNT
Oct. 22 vs. Spurs 6 p.m. NBA TV
Oct. 24 vs. Pacers 7 p.m.
Oct. 26 at Raptors 7:30 p.m.

Celtics schedule 2022-23

Here are Boston's first five games of the 2022-23 regular season:

Date Opponent Time (ET) TV channel
Oct. 18 vs. 76ers 7:30 p.m. TNT
Oct. 21 at Heat 7:30 p.m. ESPN
Oct. 22 at Magic 7 p.m.
Oct. 24 at Bulls 8 p.m.
Oct. 28 vs. Cavaliers 7:30 p.m.

Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor Photo

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.