The Philadelphia 76er’s (18-7) will be visiting the Boston Celtics (17-5) in an Eastern Conference rivalry game on 12/12. The Celtics are currently 2nd in the East, while the Sixers are the 4th seed. This could possibly be a future playoff series later on down the road and both teams will want to win this game.
This game also marks center Al Horford’s return to TD Garden’s as a member of the Sixers. Horford played for the Celtics from 2016 – 2019 and was a key part of their success over the years. Horford chose to leave the Celtics in free agency and decided to sign with the Sixers for $109 million over the next four-years. It will be interesting to see whether or not the opposing fans cheer or boo him because he was a fan favorite during his time in Boston.
Another story line to watch will be Joel Embiid and his performance. Embiid has historically struggled against the Celtics at TD Gardens but this time Al Horford will be on his side. This could mean Embiid is looking to have a big game because he will be matched up against big men Daniel Theis and Robert Williams.
From the Celtics perspective, they have been playing very well and that’s thanks to point guard Kemba Walker. Walker is averaging 21.8 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.4 rebounds this season. Although those stats don’t jump out at you, Walker is coming off games where he put up 28 and 39 points respectively. He has been a great floor general and players like Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown have all stepped up as well.
This is an intriguing match up because on paper the Sixers have one of the scariest starting lineups in the league. However, the Celtics play much better team ball and are deeper than the Sixers. It should be a very interesting game to watch and I think there will be an added intensity to the game because there is a rivalry between these two teams.
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