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Joel Embiid is not very fond of the Boston Celtics. In that regard, the Philadelphia 76ers signing Caleb Martin made for a perfect match. In the Sixers' first matchup with the Celtics this season, the two of them played well and helped Philly win 118-114 in a Christmas showdown.
Martin tallied a season-high 23 points and a career-high seven triples while taking only 11 total shot attempts. Embiid said that he loved seeing Martin be decisive and confident when he got the ball — especially against the rival that has gotten the better of Embiid's Sixers time and time again.
“He’s playing against Boston. He hates them as much as I do,” the 76ers superstar said. “I'll take it. He was great. I like it when he's not thinking about it and tonight, he was just not thinking about it every single time he had the ball, shoot or drive. Obviously, he made his shots. We need him to keep doing that and keep building that confidence.”
Caleb Martin goes off in 76ers' Christmas win vs. Celtics
Martin nearly won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP award for his heroics against the Celtics. Back when he was with the Miami Heat, he lit the Celtics up with uncharacteristically hot shooting from deep. That trend continued in his first game against Boston with his new squad.
The Celtics were content to let Martin get up a bunch of threes. Because of his poor shooting this season and his slow release, they focused harder on taking away other shots from other players like Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. They made a bet that Martin wouldn’t beat them — and even with his past of beating Boston down, it was a sound strategy. But Martin rose to the occasion and made them regret it.
This season has mostly been a struggle for Martin, who dealt with back and shoulder issues and has struggled to find his groove on offense. But for this huge game, he stepped up in a huge way.
