Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 14, 2023 21:53:28 GMT -5
at 
Boston Celtics (8-2) at Philadelphia 76ers (8-2)
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
7:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game [HASH]11 Road Game [HASH]6
TV: ESPN, NBCSB
Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub, 97.5 The Fanatic, Sirius XM
Wells Fargo Center
Probable Starting Matchups
Point Guard
vs 
Jrue Holiday vs Tyrese Maxey
Shooting Guard
vs 
Derrick White vs DeAnthony Melton
Small Forward
vs 
Jaylen Brown vs Robert Covington
Poward Forward
vs 
Jayson Tatum vs Tobias Harris
Center
vs 
Celtics Reserves
Celtics Reserves
Delano Banton
Oshae Brissett
Sam Hauser
Al Horford
Luke Kornet
Svi Mykhailiuk
Payton Pritchard
Lamar Stevens
Jordan Walsh
2 Way Players
JD Davison
Nathan Knight
Neemias Queta
Injuries/Out
Neemias Queta (foot) questionable
Kristaps Porzingis (knee) questionable
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Sixers Reserves
Mo Bamba
Patrick Beverley
Ricky Council IV
Danuel House, Jr
Furkan Korkmaz
KJ Martin
Marcus Morris, Sr
Paul Reed
Jaden Springer
Two Way Players
Javonte Smart
Terquavion Smith
Injuries/Out
Nicolas Batum (personal) questionable
Kelly Oubre, Jr (ribs) out
Head Coach
Nick Nurse
Game Notes
The Celtics visit the Philadelphia 76ers for the second of 4 meetings this season. The 76ers won the first meeting in Philadelphia 106-103 on November 8. They will meet twice more in Boston on December 1 and February 27. this is the Celtics 5th straight game against Atlantic Division teams. Both teams are 8-2 and are tied at the top of the Eastern Conference. Although Joel Embiid says that this is not a rivalry because the Celtics always win, it definitely has the makings of being a divisional rivalry.
Last season, the Celtics won the series 3-1, winning both times in Boston and once in Philadelphia. The Celtics also beat the 76ers 4-3 in the second round of the playoffs last season. The Celtics and 76ers have met 22 times in NBA playoff history. Of those 22 playoff series, the Celtics have won 15 of them. The Celtics have a 269-197 record overall all time against the 76ers. They are 112-142 on the road against the 76ers all time.
This is the first game of a 4 game road trip for the Celtics. The trip will take the Celtics through Toronto, Memphis and Charlotte. The 76ers are playing on the second night of back to back games. They played Indiana at home on Tuesday night. This is the 3rd game of a 3 game home stand for the 76ers. The Celtics have won their last 3 games and are 3-2 on the road while the 76ers had won their last 8 before losing to the Indiana Pacers in a high scoring game on Tuesday night. The 76ers are 6-1 at home.
Kristaps Porzingis suffered a knee contusion on Monday against the Knicks and is listed as questionable for this game. If he can't play Al Horford is likely to start at center in his place. Neemias Queta has been upgraded to questionable for this game after missing the last 8 games with a foot injury. For the 76ers, Nicolas Batum had moved into the starting lineup but is questionable for personal reasons. Robert Covington will likely start if Batum is out. Kelly Oubre, Jr was hit by a car near his home and is out with fractured ribs.
Key Matchups
vs Kristaps Porzingis vs Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid is the reigning MVP and has picked up where he left off last season. He is averaging 32.4 points, 11.7 rebounds 5.7 assists and 2.1 blocks per game. He is shooting 50.5% from the field and 36.4% from beyond the arc. He put up 37 points in the 76ers win over the Celtics on 11/8. He is very a very tough matchup for anyone and the Celtics will have their hands full trying to keep him from having another big game.
vs Jrue Holiday vs Tyrese Maxey
Maxey has blossomed now that he has the keys to the team and James Harden has headed for the west coast. Maxey is averaging 28.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. He is shooting 50.5% from the field and 43.1% from beyond the arc. He is very quick and difficult to stay with in the open court. The 76ers are first in the league in fast break points and Maxey's speed is one of the reasons why.
Honorable Mention
Jayson Tatum vs Tobias Harris
Harris is averaging 19.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. He is shooting 56.5% from the field and 36.7% from beyond the arc. Harris will also have his hands full trying to slow Jayson Tatum down.
Keys to the Game
Defense - Defense will always be key to winning every game. The Celtics are 3rd in the league with a defensive rating of 105.8. The 76ers are 7th with a defensive rating of 108.6. The 76ers are 3rd in the league, averaging 120.7 points per game. The Celtics are 5th, averaging 119.6 points per game. The Celtics need to increase their efforts on that end even more. They have to make defense their priority for every possession of the game because that is how they are going to win.
Rebound - Rebounding is second to defense as a key to winning. The Celtics are 1st in the league, pulling down 48.2 rebounds per game while the 76ers are 3rd with 47.8 rebounds per game. It takes effort to get rebounds and the Celtics must go all out in their effort to beat the Sixers on the boards. The Celtics need to keep the 76ers from getting extra points around the basket and they need to give themselves extra possessions by rebounding on the offensive end. If the Celtics want to win this one, it is crucial that they go all out to crash the boards.
Move the Ball Carefully - The Celtics need to move the ball in order to find the best shot on each possession. When the ball sticks and players try to do too much, the Celtics struggle. They are at their best when they pass the ball and keep it moving. But they have to make careful passes and not get sloppy because the 76ers average 19.2 points off turnovers per game.
Play Hard 48 Minutes - The Celtics have to start out strong and play hard for 48 minutes, right up until the final buzzer. The Celtics also must play hard throughout the game and not get complacent if they are up. The Celtics can't let the 76ers build a lead and they can't let up if they can build a lead themselves. They have to play hard from the opening tip until the final buzzer with no let up. The 76ers are playing on the 2nd night of back to back games and so if the Celtics play hard they may be able to tire the 76ers out by the end of the game.
X-Factors
On the Road - The Celtics will be on the road and facing a very hostile crowd. Philly fans hate the Celtics because they have pretty much owned them in recent years. They hate Al Horford because he didn't live up to their expectations in Philly. They hate Jayson Tatum because the Celtics took him with Philly's pick after the 76ers traded up to take Markelle Fultz. There will likely be a lot of boos and the Celtics need to play through them.
Officiating - Officiating is always an x-factor. Every crew calls the game differently. Some call it tight and call every bit of contact while others allow more physical play. Some favor the home team while others call both sides evenly. The Celtics have to adjust to the way the refs are calling the game and not allow the no calls and bad calls to affect their focus on playing the game. There are also just bad calls like in the game on 11/8 when the refs admitted to making a big error on the last possession when Joel Embiid clearly stepped out of bounds and instead of the Celtics getting the ball back to attempt to tie the game, the 76ers maintained possession.
