The Philadelphia 76ers are in Boston on Thursday night to take on the Celtics as their season winds down. The Sixers are currently two and a half games behind the Bulls for the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference and a spot in the Play-In tournament, while they’re just a game and a half above the Raptors for the fifth-worst record in the league and a better chance of keeping this year’s first-round pick. The Celtics have won two straight and eight of their last ten games as they’re second in the conference and have the third-best record in the league.
Sixers game information
Who: Philadelphia 76ers (21-40) at Boston Celtics (44-18)
When: 7:30 p.m. EST
Where: TD Garden, Boston, Mass
Watch: NBC Sports Boston, TNT
Latest on the Sixers
The Sixers are in Boston more injured than they’ve been at any point in the season, which is saying a lot. While Justin Edwards is listed as questionable for tonight’s game, the Sixers are without Joel Embiid, Kyle Lowry, Eric Gordon, Jared McCain, Paul George, and, most importantly, Tyrese Maxey. Maxey injured his back after a hard fall against the Trail Blazers. He missed the Timberwolves game and now misses his second straight game.
With the long list of injuries and the chances given to some of the younger players on the roster, recently acquired Quentin Grimes has stepped up huge for the team. With the help of a 44-point game in the team’s win over the Warriors, Grimes has been averaging 17.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in his 11 games as a Sixers. The trade deadline acquisition of Grimes is looking like one of the few bright spots for the Sixers this season as they’ll look to re-sign him in the off-season, giving them another young, talented guard for the future.
The Sixers will need everything that Grimes can give them, as well as big games from Kelly Oubre Jr., Geurschon Yabusele, Jared Butler, and Andre Drummond, especially if Edwards can’t play. The problem is that the Sixers seem to be torn between the playoff spot, which is really out of the question, or losing games and overtaking the Raptors to give them some security with their draft pick.
Latest on the Celtics
The Celtics want to extend their winning streak to three games after beating the Trail Blazers on Wednesday, 128-118, despite missing Jason Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, and Jrue Holiday. The team saw Payton Pritchard score 43 points with 10 rebounds, while Derrick White scored 41 in the victory. Without two of their big stars, the Celtics had no trouble and it would seem like more of the same is on tap against a depleted Sixers squad.
The Celtics are 8-2 over their last ten games and 15-5 over their last 20 games. The Celtics, last season’s defending NBA Champions, couldn’t have foreseen the Cavaliers running away with the conference but know exactly what it takes to win a title and are looking to keep moving forward in search of their second championship in as many years.
Jayson Tatum continues to lead the squad and has one of the better seasons of his career, averaging 26.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. While he has only missed four games in the year, he’s in danger of missing another as he’s listed as questionable due to a right shoulder impingement.
While Tatum may miss tonight’s game, several other players have already been ruled out, including Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis. The Celtics will be counting on contributions from Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Sam Hauser, who have all contributed in a large way to the team’s success.
What to watch for tonight
Any time the Sixers and Celtics play, there’s going to be some added intrigue as the rivalry they’ve shared over the years hasn’t simmered despite the Celtics’ success and the Sixers’ lack thereof. While the Celtics can look at tonight’s game as a forgone conclusion that they’ll win, it could be just the type of game in which the undermanned Sixers steal a victory.
The Celtics will have most, if not all, of their players in the lineup, and if they don’t, that doesn’t seem to matter to the team. Despite a loss to the lowly Pistons last week, the team has been rolling, and tonight doesn’t seem like it’ll be any different. The Sixers will try to utilize Grimes, Oubre Jr., and Yabusele to the best of their ability, but those three won’t be enough to overcome the depth and talent of the Celtics roster.
What we could enjoy is some quality minutes from the above-mentioned trio as well as some Ricky Council IV, Jared Butler, or Adem Bona highlight plays, just to keep the fans interested. While the season winds down, the Sixers should be focusing on getting minutes from the younger players on the roster so they’re able to evaluate them for next season’s squad. The goal shouldn’t be to win games but to get experience and see where they’ll be in the future. If you squint a little, you can see the Sixers retaining their first-round pick in this year’s draft.
Prediction
Sixers 92 – Celtics 121
