The Sixers are back in action tonight after Sunday night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder was postponed. Welcoming the Boston Celtics into town, the Sixers will begin another “home & home” with both homes being Philly.
One major storyline heading into the game has been the health of both teams. The Sixers have struggled to field a full team lately (whether injury or COVID related) as have the Celtics.
As of today, it’s been a bit of a tale of two cities for the squads as Philly is trending in a positive direction while Boston, not so much.
Sixers/Celtics Injury Report
Celtics
Carsen Edwards – Out (COVID-19 protocols)
Romeo Langford – Out (Wrist)
Jayson Tatum – Out (COVID-19)
Robert Williams III – Probable (COVID-19 protocols)
Sixers
Vincent Poirier – Out (COVID-19 protocols)
Mike Scott – Out (Knee)
Seth Curry – Out (conditioning)
The 76ers utilized their time off to become rather healthy and should be going into tonight’s game looking mostly healthy save for Vincent Poirier and Mike Scott.
Boston meanwhile will go into tonight’s game without Carsen Edwards, Romeo Langford, and by far most importantly, Jayson Tatum. The Celtics’ star didn’t even travel with the team as he tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
Wishing Tatum the best of health, the Sixers need to take full advantage of his absence and sweep Boston in this two-game series.
Keys To The Game
Joel Embiid
Tonight’s game starts and ends with Joel Embiid. Coming off nearly a full week of rest, Embiid should be ready to rock and against Tristan Thompson, he should have much in his way.
The early MVP favorite has shown that this team goes as far as he does. When he misses games the team looks lost. When he’s focused, the Sixers look unbeatable.
Going to Embiid early and often and letting him impose his will is a must against the short-handed Celtics. While Embiid is the most important key tonight, the buck doesn’t stop with him.
Seth Curry
Seth Curry will NOT make his long-awaited return tonight against Boston. According to John Clark, he needs to get his conditioning back up to speed. He has not played in two weeks and while he should take it easy to a degree, helping him get into game-shape is a must.
Curry will possibly return on Friday but be on a minutes restriction so it’s important to take advantage of the opportunities that come his way.
Averaging 17 points-per-game with a 60.3 FG% and a 59.5 3P%, Curry should be a top candidate for the Most Improved Player award. The shooting numbers will dip at some point but it’s tough to see a reality where he does not finish the season as a member of the 50-40-90 club.
A quality performance from Embiid is a key to this game while one from Curry is a key to future games.
SIXERS GAME TIME
The Sixers will take on the Celtics at 7:00 PM EST and you can catch the game on ESPN. You can also listen live as always at 97.5 The Fanatic FM.
With Tatum out the next two games, the Sixers need to make the most of this opportunity to gain some ground on the number one seed in the East.
Photo Credit: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire
