Any matchup between two rivals like the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics is always met with a lot of anticipation and a lot of hype, but Thursday’s game has a little extra oomph for the Sixers.
Thursday will mark Al Horford’s first game back in Boston since signing with the Sixers over the summer and it promises to be a bit emotional. Horford spent three seasons with the Celtics averaging 13.5 points and 7.0 rebounds while helping Boston reach the Eastern Conference Finals for two of those three seasons.
“For me, I want to win just based on it’s the Celtics,” Simmons said. “But on top of that, it’s Al’s former team. He was a great player there, but it would be amazing to get that one, too.”
The game itself will also mean a lot to All-Star point guard Ben Simmons who was the subject of a joke made by Celtics guard Jaylen Brown. It’s Boston and Philadelphia, it’s a game that means something extra every time.
“It’ll be fun,” the All-Star point guard added. “I love playing in Boston and Al is returning. It’s going to be loud in there, but I’m looking forward to it.”
The Sixers and the Celtics played back on opening night in Philadelphia and the Sixers came away with a win thanks to the defense of Josh Richardson and Matisse Thybulle on Celtics star Kemba Walker. While Thursday’s matchup will be focused more on Horford’s return, one can bet that Walker will certainly figure into the result of this one. [lawrence-related id=21092,21085,21068]