On Sunday night, the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers will meet the Boston Celtics at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers (19-28) are ranked 11th in the Eastern Conference, while the Celtics (34-15) are second.
The Philadelphia 76ers will be looking to get back on track after losing 137-134 to the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.
Despite Tyrese Maxey's strong effort and a 55% field goal conversion rate, Philadelphia was outscored 15-9 in the final few minutes, resulting in a loss.
The Sixers average 109.0 points per game (25th in the NBA), while allowing 112.6 PPG (15th overall).
Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics are regaining momentum, looking for their third straight win after defeating the Pelicans 128-126 on the road on Friday.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combined for 55 points, 12 rebounds, and 14 assists, with Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White contributing 16 points each.
The Boston Celtics won their previous game, 118-116. This was their second consecutive road victory at Smoothie King Center against the New Orleans Pelicans. Jaylen Brown led the team with 28 points, followed by Jayson Tatum with 27 and Kristaps Porzingis with 16.
The Philadelphia 76ers were defeated 137-134 at Wells Fargo Center in their most recent game, turning over at home to the Nuggets. Maxey scored 42 points, while Yabusele added 28 and Kelly Oubre Jr. 27
It did not go that way when the Celtics last faced the 76ers, as they struggled early and could not rally to beat them. As a result, they will try to find a way to win this time. The Celtics are coming off a great game, as they defeated the New Orleans Pelicans thanks to a game-winning basket by Jayson Tatum. The game ended in a 66-58 deficit at the half, and although they rallied to tie the game at the end of the third quarter, they were unable to maintain the momentum after losing the fourth quarter.
Tatum shot 11 for 20, including 4 for 8 from beyond the arc, and finished first with 32 points and 15 rebounds. Jaylen Brown, meanwhile, shot 10 for 23 and scored 23 points. Derrick White shot 8 for 15 and finished with 21 points. Similarly, Al Horford shot 6 for 13 and finished with 17 points. Kristaps Porzingus has a shot to defeat the Sixers and might dominate this game.
The reserve did not perform well on Christmas Day, but the starters did. Regretfully, they were primarily in charge of a club that made 45.3 percent of their shots from the field, including 40.8 percent from three-point range.
The Sixers won the board battle 51-39, but it was not enough to give them the second chances they needed to win. The Celtics also had only three steals and four blocked shots, and their 13 turnovers did not help either. If they get more well-rounded play from their bench and everyone shoots better, they will cover the spread. Then, they need to improve their defense and guard the rim at all costs.
The 76ers are having a terrible season and are four games behind the final play-in berth in the Eastern Conference. Of course, Joel Embiid's left knee ailment has prevented him from playing in several games. There is a potential he will not participate in this game.
The 76ers got off to a quick start in their win over the Celtics. Tyrese Maxey had an outstanding performance, finishing with 33 points and 12 assists while shooting 12 for 23. Similarly, Embiid finished with 27 points and nine rebounds, shooting 8 for 15 from the field, including 4 for 5 from three. Caleb Martin finished with 23 points, going 8 for 11 from the floor, including 7 for 9 from three.
The Sixers shot well from the field. Furthermore, they were perfect from the free-throw line, converting all 19 attempts. The 76ers also lost the board battle 51-39, giving the Celtics plenty of opportunities to come back. Overall, the defense recorded 10 steals and five blocked shots, probably one of their best performances.
The 76ers will cover the spread if they can control the boards and keep the Celtics from getting second chances. Then, their defense must stop Tatum and Brown.
