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Philadelphia 76ers (12-6) at Boston Celtics (14-4)
Friday, December 1, 2023
7:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game #19, Home Game #9
TV: ESPN, NBCSB, NBCSPHI
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, 97.5 Fanatic
TD Garden
Probable Starting Matchups Point Guard 
vs
Jrue Holiday vs Tyrese Maxey
Shooting Guard 
vs
Derrick White vs DeAnthony Melton
Small Forward 
vs
Jaylen Brown vs Nicolas Batum
Poward Forward 
vs
Jayson Tatum vs Tobias Harris
Center
vs
Al Horford vs Joel Embiid
Celtics ReservesDelano Banton
Oshae Brissett
Sam Hauser
Al Horford
Luke Kornet
Svi Mykhailiuk
Payton Pritchard
Lamar Stevens
Jordan Walsh
2 Way PlayersJD Davison
Nathan Knight
Neemias Queta
Injuries/OutKristaps Porzingis (knee) out
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Sixers Reserves Mo Bamba
Patrick Beverley
Ricky Council IV
Danuel House, Jr
Furkan Korkmaz
KJ Martin
Marcus Morris, Sr
Paul Reed
Jaden Springer
Two Way Players Javonte Smart
Terquavion Smith
Injuries/Out Danuel House, Jr (quad) out
Kelly Oubre, Jr (ribs) out
Jaden Springer (illness) probable
Joel Embiid (illness) probable
Head Coach Nick Nurse
Game Notes The Philadelphia 76ers visit the Cetics for the third of 4 meetings this season. The 76ers won the first meeting in Philadelphia 106-103 on November 8. Boston won the second meeting 117-107 on Novembver 15. They will meet once more in Boston on February 27. Although Joel Embiid says that this is not a rivalry because the Celtics always win, it definitely has the makings of being a divisional rivalry.
Last season, the Celtics won the series 3-1, winning both times in Boston and once in Philadelphia. The Celtics also beat the 76ers 4-3 in the second round of the playoffs last season. The Celtics and 76ers have met 22 times in NBA playoff history. Of those 22 playoff series, the Celtics have won 15 of them. The Celtics have a 269-197 record overall all time against the 76ers. They are 154-56 on the road against the 76ers all time.
The Celtics are first in the East, 1 game ahead of both Orlando and Milwaukee and 2 games ahead of 4th place Philadelphia. The Celtics are 8-0 at home and 8-2 in their last 10 games. They have won their last 2 games. They are 13-3 against the Eastern Conference and 7-2 against Atlantic Division teams. Their one loss against the Atlantic division came against the 76ers.
The 76ers are 4th in the East. They are 1.5 games ahead of the 5th place New York Knicks. The 76ers are 2 games behind the first place Celtics. The 76ers are 5-3 on the road and 5-5 in their last 10 games. They are 8-4 against other Eastern Conference teams. They are 4-1 against Atlantic division rivals. They are coming off a loss in their last game.
Philadelphia playing in 3nd of 3 game road trip.They lost the first game to the New Orleans Pelicans. They will play a game on 12/6 as part of the In Season Tournament. That game will be at Washington. The Celtics are playing in the 3 rd game of a 7 game home stand. They will play a game on the road against the Pacers on 12/4 as part of the quarter finals of the IST. They will have 4 more home games -2 vs Cleveland and 2 vs Orlando after the IST is over.
Jrue Holiday had missed 2 games with a sprained ankle but returned to play on Tuesday and so should play in this one. Kristaps Porzingis remains out with a calf injury. For the 76ers, Joel Embiid missed Wednesday's game with an illness but is probable for this game. Jaden Springer is also probable with an illness. Kelly OUbre, Jr is out with a rib injury. Danuel House, Jr is out with a quad injury.
Key Matchups vs
Al Horford vs Joel Embiid
Embiid is the reigning MVP and has picked up where he left off last season. He is averaging 32.0 points, 11.3 rebounds 6.6 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.0 steals per game. He is shooting 49.8% from the field and 31.5% from beyond the arc. He has averaged 23.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 steals per game against the Celtics this season. He is very a very tough matchup for anyone and the Celtics will have their hands full trying to keep him from having another big game.
vs
Jrue Holiday vs Tyrese Maxey
Maxey has blossomed now that he has the keys to the team and James Harden has headed for the west coast. Maxey is averaging 27.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game. He is shooting 46.4% from the field and 39.6% from beyond the arc. Against the Celtics this season, he averaged 22.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. He is very quick and difficult to stay with in the open court. The 76ers are 4th in the league in fast break points and Maxey's speed is one of the reasons why.
Honorable MentionJayson Tatum vs Tobias Harris
Harris is averaging 18.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. He is shooting 52.5% from the field and 31.1% from beyond the arc. Against the Celtics so far this season, Harris averaged 16 .5 points, 8 rebounds, 3.0 assists. Harris will also have his hands full trying to slow Jayson Tatum down.
Keys to the Game Defense - Defense will always be key to winning every game. The Celtics are 2nd in the league with a defensive rating of 107.1. The 76ers are 14th with a defensive rating of 112.3. The 76ers are 3rd in the league, averaging 120.2 points per game. The Celtics are 9th, averaging 116.3 points per game. The Celtics need to increase their efforts on that end even more. They have to make defense their priority for every possession of the game because that is how they are going to win.
Rebound - Rebounding is second to defense as a key to winning. The Celtics are 3rd in the league, pulling down 47.1 rebounds per game while the 76ers are 9th with 49.3 rebounds per game. It takes effort to get rebounds and the Celtics must go all out in their effort to beat the Sixers on the boards. The Celtics need to keep the 76ers from getting extra points around the basket and they need to give themselves extra possessions by rebounding on the offensive end. If the Celtics want to win this one, it is crucial that they go all out to crash the boards.
Move the Ball Carefully - The Celtics need to move the ball in order to find the best shot on each possession. When the ball sticks and players try to do too much, the Celtics struggle. They are at their best when they pass the ball and keep it moving. But they have to make careful passes and not get sloppy because the 76ers average 17.5 points off turnovers per game
Play Hard 48 Minutes - The Celtics have to start out strong and play hard for 48 minutes, right up until the final buzzer. The Celtics also must play hard throughout the game and not get complacent if they are up. The Celtics can't let the 76ers build a lead and they can't let up if they can build a lead themselves. They have to play hard from the opening tip until the final buzzer with no let up.
X-Factors Home Game - The Celtics have been a good home team remaining undefeated at home so far this season. The 76ers are 5-3 on the road so far. Teams strive to get home court advantage for a reason and the Celtics need to take advantage of having the crowd behind them and being on their home court. Hopefully the 76ers are distracted by the travel, hotel stay, and a hostile crowd.
Officiating - Officiating is always an x-factor. Every crew calls the game differently. Some call it tight and call every bit of contact while others allow more physical play. In the playoffs so far they have been allowing more physical play. Some favor the home team while others call both sides evenly. The Celtics have to adjust to the way the refs are calling the game and not allow the no calls and bad calls to affect their focus on playing the game.
Topic: 76ers (12-6) at Celtics (14-4) Game #19 12/1/23 (Read 15005 times)