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Boston Celtics (8-2) at Philadelphia 76ers (9-2)
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
8:00 PM ET
Game #11 Road #6
TV: Peacock/NBC
Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub, 97.5 The Fanatic, Sirius XM
Xfinity Mobile Arena 
Probable Starting Matchups Point Guard 
vs
Derrick White vs Tyrese Maxey
Shooting Guard 
vs
Jordan Walsh vs VJ Edgecombe
Small Forward 
vs
Paul George vs Jaylen Brown
Poward Forward 
vs
Jayson Tatum vs LeBron James
Center
vs
Neemias Queta vs Joel Embiid
Celtics ReservesChris Cenac, Jr
Mike Conley, Jr
Luka Garza
Jordan Walsh
Ron Harper, Jr
Sam Hauser
Payton Pritchard
Mitchell Robinson
Baylor Scheierman
Two Way PlayersDevin Carter
Dillon Mitchell
Amari Williams
Injuries/OutNone Listed
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
76ers ReservesAnfernee Simons
Dean Wade
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Jabari Walker
Justin Edwards
Lebaron Philon, Jr,
2-Way Players Taco Fall
Rayan Rupert
Caleb Love
Injuries/OutAdem Bona (back) out
Dominick Barlow (back) out
Ariel Hukporti (Achilles) out
Head Coach Nick Nurse
Game Notes The Celtics visit the Philadelphia 76ers for the first of 4 games between them this season. They will meet in Philadelphia again on February 7. They will meet twice in Boston on January 21 and March 7. This is likely the most anticipated matchup of the season so far as there are many stories to watch in this game.
First, there is the beef, or the lamb chops and gravy, or whatever you want to call what has been going on between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown since the trade. In the preseason, as they were both warming up, they didn't even acknowledge each other. There has been a back and forth of words between them ever since. Also there is the story of Paul George returning to Philly for the first time and of Jaylen Brown and PG13 facing their former teams. There is also the story of the long time rivalry between the Celtics and 76ers and the teams who faced each other in the 2nd round of the playoffs last season.
There is also the story of the top 2 teams in the East facing off. The 8-2 Celtics are 2nd in the East with only Philadelphia (9-2) half a game ahead of them in the standings. The Celtics have won their last 3 games and the 76ers are looking for their 2nd straight win. The Celtics are 2-2 on the road while the 76ers are 4-2 at home. The Celtics won both games in the preseason. Both teams are 2-0 in games against division rivals.
The Celtics are playing in the first of back to back games. This is their 3rd back to back set this season already. They won the first game in both of their back to back sets this season. One win was at home while the other was on the road. The Celtics are 275-200 overall all time against the 76ers. They are 94-130 in games played in Philly. They tied the series 2-2 last season, with each team winning one at home and one on the road.
The 76ers made one of the biggest moves of the off season, trading Paul George to the Celtics to get Jaylen Brown. They also signed LeBron James, Dean Wade, Ariel Hukporti and Anfernee Simons as free agents. They drafted Labaron Philon, Jr with the 22nd pick in the draft. Along with Paul George, they lost Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre, Jr and Andre Drummond. Mike Gansey also replaced Daryl Morey as the 76ers' president of basketball operations.
After this game, the Celtics will complete their 4 game road trip with a game in Toronto in back to back games Wednesday. Then they play Dallas and Orlando at home before a West coast trip that takes them through Denver, Sacramento, Golden State, and Washington. They then play one game at home against Atlanta before playing at San Antonio and Dallas. Then it's home against Charlotte before a game at Brooklyn.
The 76ers will host Toronto and Indiana before road games at Brooklyn and Orlando. Then they host Milwaukee, Portland and Miami before games at Indiana and Houston. Then they have a 3 game home stand against Memphis, Denver and Orlando before playing at Orlando. Next they host Dallas and play at Charlotte. They will host Houston before a 5 game Western road trip.
The Celtics have been changing their starting lineup with Jordan Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, and Neemias Queta getting starts along with Derrick White, Paul George, Jayson Tatum and Mitchell Robinson. The starting lineup is a work in progress for the Celtics, especially the shooting guard spot that has changed pretty much from game to game. Mike Conley got the start against the Bucks, but I'm guessing that White, Walsh, George, Tatum and Queta get the start in this one. The 76ers should start Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown, James and Embiid.
The Celtics have no one on the injury report as of this time. Chris Cenac, Jr and the Celtics 3 two way players will likely be with Maine. The 76ers have 3 players out as of now. Adem Bona and Dominick Barlow are both out due to back injuries. Ariel Hukporti is out for the season due to a torn Achilles. Joel Embiid has been struggling with plantar faciitis but is expected to play in this game.
Key Matchups vs
Derrick White vs Tyrese Maxey
Maxey is averaging 26.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He is shooting 48.1% from the field and 34.1% from beyond the arc. His 26.9 ppg ranks 3rd in the East. He is quick and so the Celtics will need to work hard to stay in front of him. They will need Derrick White's defense to be sharp in this one.
vs
Paul George vs Jaylen Brown
This should be an incredible matchup to watch. Brown is averaging 22.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.2 steals. He is shooting 47.7% from the field and 39.2% from beyond the arc. I expect Brown to come in with a chip on his shoulder to prove that he is the better player among Paul George, Jayson Tatum and himself. Paul George just needs to focus on playing team ball and being his best self.
Honorable MentionNeemias Queta vs Joel Embiid
Embiid is averaging 17.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. He is shooting 38% from the field and 10% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to keep Embiid out of the paint and off the boards. Queta needs to find a way to stay out of foul trouble and to counter Embiid on defense.
Keys to the Game Defense - As always, defense is absolutely the key to winning this, and every, game. It is very true that defense wins championships. Shots don't always fall but players can always play hard on defense. The Celtics are 3rd with an offensive rating of 117.9 while the 76ers are 20th with an offensive rating of 110.3. The Celtics are 4th with a defensive rating of 106.3. The 76ers aren't far behind with a defensive rating of 107.6. The Celtics must give full out effort on defense for every minute of this game if they hope to beat the loaded 76ers team.
Rebound - Next to defense, rebounding is always a big key to winning. The key to rebounding is effort and focus. The 76ers are 19th with 43.4 rebounds per game while the Celtics are 10th with 45.0 rebounds per game. The Celtics have to fight as a team to try to grab every rebound to avoid the 76ers getting 2nd chance points because the 76ers average 14.7 second chance points per game. In order to win the possession battle, the Celtics must crash the boards and fight for every rebound.
Effort and Focus for 48 Minutes - The Celtics have to play with extra effort overall for all 4 quarters. They have to stay focused on playing basketball the right way as a team. They have to avoid getting wound up in the Tatum vs Brown and Brown vs George narratives. They have to play team ball and give all out effort to get to the basket, to defend, to rebound, to hustle after loose balls and to play hard on every possession.
Move the Ball Carefully - The Celtics play the best when they move the ball and find the best shot. They struggle when they try to do too much individually. But, they have to be careful handling the ball and making passes. The 76ers are best in the league at taking care of the ball with just 12.9 turnovers per game. The Celtics are 12th with 14.9 turnovers per game. They have to stay focused and avoid turning the ball over.
X-Factors On the Road - The Celtics will be on the road once again for the 3rd straight game and they will be facing a very hostile crowd. Philly fans hate the Celtics because they have pretty much owned them in recent years. They hate Jayson Tatum because the Celtics took him with Philly's pick after the 76ers traded up to take Markelle Fultz. They now have another reason to hate the Celtics and that is to back up Jaylen Brown who has been very bitter against the Celtics and his former running mate. There will likely be a lot of boos and the Celtics need to play through them. They have to shake off the distractions of playing on the road and stay focused on playing Celtics basketball.. They can use the boos as motivation to play even harder.
Coaching - Joe Mazzulla is in his 5th season as Celtics' head coach. He won a title in 2024 with a very talented team that was packed with shooting stars. Now he has to win in a different way since his personnel has changed and so far he is doing a good job. Nick Nurse is in his 9th season as a head coach overall and his 4th as the 76ers head coach. He won a title with the Raptors in 2019. Nurse came out ahead in the playoffs last season. Can Mazzulla win this round?
Officiating - Officiating is always an x-factor in every game. Every crew officiates differently. Some call it tight, others let them play. The Celtics need to adjust to how the refs are calling the game and not allow bad calls or no calls to take away their focus from playing the game. The Celtics also have to be aware of the new points of emphasis for this season and try to avoid flopping, off‑arm push‑offs, reckless closeouts, delays before free throws, and illegal screens. They have been especially calling flops and push offs and so the Celtics need to make an effort to avoid doing both.
Topic: Celtics (8-2) at 76ers (9-2) Game #11 11/10/26 (Read 400 times)