Sixers rest a majority of its rotation players in blowout preseason loss to Boston Celtics

BOSTON — Jayson Tatum pulled up from the top of the key, as 76ers rookie Justin Edwards knocked him on the arm.

The four-point play put the Celtics up by 21 before the first-quarter buzzer, epitomizing a preseason mismatch that, because of a scheduling quirk, left the Sixers resting the bulk of their projected rotation. Boston’s standouts built that big lead against the Sixers’ young reserves, which they rode to a 139-89 victory Saturday night at TD Garden.

Following Friday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Des Moines, Iowa, Sixers starters Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Caleb Martin all sat on the second night of the unconventional preseason back-to-back. Ditto for reserves Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, Kyle Lowry, and Reggie Jackson. And 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid, who underwent a knee evaluation as he continues to work his way back following meniscus surgery, remained away from the team.

The Celtics, meanwhile, played starters Tatum (16 points, 10 rebounds, six assists), Jaylen Brown (18 points, eight rebounds, four assists), Derrick White (five points), and Jrue Holiday (nine points) on the front end of their back-to-back that includes a Sunday home contest against the Toronto Raptors.

That means it was not exactly a foreshadowing of any matchup with stakes between the defending champion Celtics, and a Sixers team aiming to be a prime challenger after adding the perennial All-Star George and revamping the complementary roster around stars Embiid and Maxey during an impressive offseason.

Instead, it was a return game for former Celtic Guerschon Yabusele, who finished with eight points and three rebounds as the Sixers’ starting center Saturday. The 28-year-old was originally a 2016 first-round draft pick by the Celtics, and played sparingly over two seasons before slipping out of the NBA. Following a terrific Olympics run for his home country of France, the Sixers offered Yabusele a one-year veteran-minimum contract. He drew a media crowd at his locker room before the game, and cheers from the home crowd when introduced as a starter.

Yabusele, though, stands at 6-foot-8. His backup Saturday night, Adem Bona, is a rookie. So Celtics big man Luke Kornet took advantage, finishing with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting and eight rebounds in 18 minutes.

Rookie guard Jared McCain led the Sixers with 20 points on 9-of-21 shooting (1-of-8 from three-point range) to go along with three rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes. Edwards, who starred at Imhotep Prep before playing one college season at Kentucky and signing a two-way contract with the Sixers, finished with nine points on 4-of-11 shooting.

The Sixers’ next preseason matchup is Monday at the Atlanta Hawks, before they finish their exhibition slate with a home game against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday and a road date at the Orlando Magic on Friday.