The Philadelphia 76ers are looking to bounce back from a tough loss to the Atlanta Hawks to begin their four-game road trip. It was another confusing loss for a supremely talented Sixers team as they continue to drop games they shouldn’t. However, a trip to their rivals on Saturday should set things straight for them.
The Boston Celtics are currently the 3 seed in the East and they have been playing some good basketball, but they have not been able to figure out the Sixers. Philadelphia has won all three matchups with their heated rivals this season and they will be looking to finish off the season sweep of Boston for the first time since the 2000-01 season.
With that said, it’s time for the guide to this one:
How to watch Sixers vs. Celtics
- Date: Saturday, February 1
- Time: 8:30 p.m. EST
- Location: TD Garden Boston, MA
- TV: ABC
Injury Report
- Sixers: OUT: Josh Richardson (left hamstring strain), PROBABLE: Al Horford (left knee soreness)
- Celtics: OUT: Robert Williams III (left hip bone edema) QUESTIONABLE: Enes Kanter (right hip contusion), Kemba Walker (left knee soreness)
Storylines
Sixers struggle with quick guards
The Sixers had their issues on Thursday defending Hawks All-Star Trae Young as he worked them to the tune of 39 points and a career-high 18 assists. It does not get any easier on Saturday when they take on another All-Star in Kemba Walker. They will need their young wins to be better on the defensive end after coach Brett Brown said they struggled on that end.
“Just trying to judge the attention you give him,” explained Brown. “You give him a ton, and people reap the benefit of that. They get behind defenses, they squirt out and get open looks. I thought our best look was when we decided to go bigger, switch more, and just try to stay connected that way. I thought our young wings struggled tonight. They really struggled tonight, and he is difficult to guard.”
Milton continuing to produce
The Sixers shockingly turned to Shake Milton to start in place of the injured Josh Richardson and he has done a solid job in his place. He then dropped a career-high 27 points on Thursday against Atlanta in his third career start and he has begun to turn heads within the Sixers organization.
“That doesn’t surprise me at all,” said Ben Simmons. “I’ve been around Shake since he got here, He works hard, he is consistent, and he trusts in his work.”
Prediction
The Sixers have a tendency to play up to their competition so this could be a win for Philadelphia. They have the size advantage over Boston so they have that in their favor and the fact that having Milton playing so well is huge for them. The Celtics have their explosive guards in Walker, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown. but with Simmons and Matisse Thybulle in tow, they should be able to contain them. This is a game the Sixers would win after the Hawks nonsense.
Pick: Sixers in a close one
Sixers vs. Celtics season series
Game 1 October 23: 107-93 Sixers
Game 2 December 12: 115-109 Sixers
Game 3 January 9: 109-98 Sixers
Game 4 February 1:
[lawrence-related id=24653,24643,24636]