The Celtics turned cold in the fourth quarter en route to their second straight loss.
Philadelphia outscored Boston, 26-10, in the final eight minutes and had a 19-0 run during that stretch. The Celtics shot 29.2 percent in the fourth (7 of 24), missing 6 of 8 3-point attempts, and attempted only four free throws. The Sixers shot 46.7 percent, made 15 of 21 free throws, and scored 29 points with just 1 assist in the period.
Andre Iguodala scored a game-high 28 points for Philadelphia (36-35), which is making a late surge to solidify a playoff spot.
"Every game is big for us," said Sixers guard Andre Miller, who had 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. "Good effort by everybody. Everybody came in and contributed. It's tough to go on a run like that on the road against a team like this."
Said Celtics guard Ray Allen, "They just went on a run and we didn't score down the stretch."
It was the Celtics' first loss in four games against Philadelphia this season. The Celtics also have dropped two straight home games. Their magic number to clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference is still seven (combination of Boston wins and Detroit losses).
The Celtics were playing their first game at home following a 4-1 trip over eight days. They returned home following Saturday night's loss at New Orleans around 3 a.m. To give his players some rest, Rivers gave them Easter off and canceled shootaround yesterday.
While fatigue was a likely factor, the Celtics didn't use it as an excuse.
"You can't blame that," said Kevin Garnett. "Everyone got to do the same thing in this game. We can't cry about having to fly, and what it is. It's part of it and we have to deal with it."
Allen, who had 14 points, said, "I won't blame it on fatigue. It's nothing that any of us couldn't handle. We had every opportunity to win."
Rivers used his bench for a hefty amount of minutes in the fourth quarter. Eddie House played eight minutes, Leon Powe played seven, Tony Allen four, and rookie Glen Davis five. Rivers said he'll likely go that route again down the stretch.
