Get ready for round two, because the Boston Celtics are rolling into Philly tonight fresh off absolutely crushing the 76ers 144-106 just a couple days ago. Seriously, a 38-point beatdown! And that was with Jaylen Brown, Embiid, and LeBron James all sitting out for the Sixers while Boston played all their starters. Talk about a statement game heading into the final preseason matchup.
Philly’s Wild Offseason Roll of the Dice
The 76ers absolutely went for it this offseason, making one of the biggest moves in the league by trading Paul George to the Celtics just to get Jaylen Brown. Then they went out and signed some massive free agents in LeBron James, Dean Wade, Ariel Hukporti, and Anfernee Simons. They even added some youth, drafting Labaron Philon, Jr. with the 22nd pick. Of course, bringing in all that talent meant saying goodbye to Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre, Jr., and Andre Drummond. After all those big moves, you gotta wonder what was up with that 38-point loss against Boston. They really need to show some chemistry fast.
Who’s Actually Playing Tonight? It’s a Real Mystery
The Celtics have been playing a bit of chess with their lineup this preseason. They rested their starters in the first game against the Cavaliers, then let them loose in the second and third games against the 76ers and Hornets. Now, for this final preseason clash, the smart money is on the Celtics resting their starters once again. One player is already a game-time decision due to an illness, and he’s been battling that for a couple games now after a monster performance in their opener. Plus, the top six or seven players are expected to be on the injury report for rest, so look out for some Exhibit 10 guys getting a chance to prove themselves for those final two-way and open roster spots.
The 76ers, on the other hand, have been all over the map. They rested their starters except Brown in their first game against the Knicks, which they won. Then they played everyone against the Nets and lost. They sat most of their starters, except Edgecombe and Maxey, against the Celtics in that huge loss. But tonight, it sounds like they’re finally going to play their regular rotation. At least, that’s the expectation. We could see Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown, James, and Embiid all out there, though they might still experiment a little with this being their final preseason game.
On the injury front for Philly, it’s not looking great. Dominick Barlow has missed all three games with a back injury and is listed as doubtful. Adem Bona is out with a foot injury, having missed the entire preseason. Ariel Hukporti is done for a while after tearing his Achilles in the first preseason game. Anfernee Simons has been battling a hamstring injury, returned to practice, but is still expected to miss this one. And Tacko Fall is questionable with a hip injury. Looks like the Sixers will have to dig deep into their new roster.
It’s the last chance for these guys to figure out who belongs where before the regular season kicks off. Will the Sixers finally show some cohesion with their new look? Or will the Celtics continue to flex even with their main guys on the bench? Get ready, because it’s going to be interesting to see what lineup Joe Mazzulla throws out there and if Philly can make this game count!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Celtics Blog.
Leave a Reply