Game Preview: Celtics v 76ers

The Boston Celtics play host to the Philadelphia 76ers, at TD Garden on
Wednesday evening. This marks the Celtics’ (36-19) first game home after a
four-game road trip. They went 3-1 on the trip, winning three straight after
falling to the Kings in Sacramento. They are coming off a convincing 111-98 win
in Dallas on Monday, where Isaiah Thomas led the way with 29 points and five
other players chipped in double digits in the points column. The Celtics are 9-1
in their last 10 games, as they have surged to second place in the East, with a
solid 2.5-game lead over the third-place Wizards, and only 2.5 games behind the
Cavs for first place. Jaylen Brown (hip) missed Monday’s contest and is expected
to remain sidelined through Wednesday. The Celtics have won six straight at
home, where they are 19-8 so far this season. Meanwhile, 76ers (21-34) have won
three straight and are coming off an impressive 105-99 win in Charlotte on
Monday. Before Monday’s game Nicolas Batum had guaranteed that the Hornets would
win but the Sixers made him eat those words, while T.J. McConnell went on record
after the game, saying that his team is not a guaranteed win for anyone, making
clear reference to Batum’s earlier comments. The Sixers certainly have developed
a great team chemistry and sense of confidence that seems to be growing as the
days go by, especially after Monday’s road win. They sit 13th in the East, 4.5
games behind the eighth-place Pistons, but with a lot of basketball to be
played, there is no telling what could happen, especially once Joel Embiid is
healthy again. Embiid has missed 11 of the Sixers’ last 12 games with a meniscus
tear in his left knee and will remain sidelined through Wednesday. The Sixers
face a top tier opponent in Boston, while they are 8-18 on the road so far this
season.