The Philadelphia 76ers return home Tuesday night to host the Boston Celtics in the first regular-season matchup between the two teams after the Celtics beat the Sixers to close out the preseason.
The Sixers won two of three games on their first road trip of the season and are coming off a 127-121 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. The Celtics have won their last three games, including Sunday's 117-97 blowout of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Who: Boston Celtics (8-2) at Philadelphia 76ers (9-2)
When: 8 p.m. EST
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia
Watch: NBC, NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBC Sports Boston, Peacock
Despite winning two of their past three games since blowing out the Bulls last Monday, the Sixers haven't been playing with any real consistency. The wins over the Pistons and Bulls showed they're capable of putting things together, especially later in games, to secure victories. However, in their loss to Cleveland, they couldn't get things going at all.
A continuing issue throughout the early stages of the season has been their shooting. Philadelphia is shooting 44.6 percent from the floor, ranking 23rd in the league, while its 34 percent shooting from three-point range ranks 20th. While the Sixers are toward the bottom of the league in three-point attempts, they're still not connecting with enough regularity to open up the half-court offense.
The two-man game that has served Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey well over the past few years has maintained a significant presence this season, despite the additions of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown.
The Sixers have no true identity in their half-court offense, but at this point in the season, it's not unreasonable to think James will start dictating more of the flow. As the team's best passer, with an otherworldly basketball IQ, James has to start getting the offense into better positions.
His teammates should know he'll get the ball into their hands, and it's clear that Brown and VJ Edgecombe have benefited greatly from his court awareness. However, the Sixers will have to do more to generate better looks for their guards, especially from three-point range.
Philadelphia will also be without Dominick Barlow and Adem Bona, further limiting its frontcourt depth against Boston.
MORE: Jaylen Brown joins Tyrese Maxey to feed 5,000 Philly families this Thanksgiving
The Celtics are coming to Philadelphia having won three games in a row and four of their last five, including a 20-point victory over the Bucks on Sunday. They've enjoyed a strong recent run against teams that aren't necessarily contenders, using those games to tighten up the things they do well.
Boston ranks fifth in the league in three-point shooting at 37.6 percent and third in scoring defense, allowing just 104.3 points per game. The center combination of Neemias Queta and Mitchell Robinson handles the frontcourt well enough to allow Derrick White and Paul George to disrupt opposing backcourts and passing lanes.
George, after two seasons in Philadelphia, has experienced a resurgence in Boston. While his rebounding and assists are similar, his scoring, shooting and steals have improved significantly.
He's averaging 20.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists to go along with 2.3 steals per game, while shooting an impressive 42.5 percent from three-point range.
He's found a perfect role in Boston, teaming with Jayson Tatum as the team's two biggest stars. Tatum, for his part, is in his first full season after rupturing his Achilles in the 2025 playoffs. He's averaging 27.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and a career-high 7.8 assists per game this season.
Having George alongside him, shooting as well as he has been, has helped Tatum elevate his game as the Celtics eye another run at a title.
On paper, this is just another early-season matchup between two Eastern Conference contenders. Of course, there's also the small matter of Jaylen Brown and Paul George facing their former teams for the first time.
Boston traded Brown to Philadelphia for George this past offseason, and some Celtics fans and at least one of Brown's former teammates have appeared to downplay his contributions to the city and franchise.
While George has stated he's looking forward to returning to Philadelphia, seeing his former teammates and playing in the city, Brown has made no such remarks and appears to be treating this as business as usual.
For Brown, the perceived disrespect following his 10 years in Boston could provide some extra motivation, even if he doesn't say so publicly.
If the Sixers can get Embiid going early and put Boston's frontcourt in foul trouble, this game could get out of hand quickly. Brown has plenty of potential motivation, but with the way this new Sixers lineup has gelled, the team will also want to make a statement against a conference rival.
The Sixers will have to move quickly and make better decisions against a Celtics team that can disrupt passing lanes. Keeping their heads on a swivel while James picks apart the defense will be key, along with applying defensive pressure to force turnovers and create transition opportunities.
When it's all said and done, this is still an early-season game between two rivals, and while one November matchup won't define either team's season, the stakes are significant with both teams battling near the top of the Eastern Conference. Emotionally, a win against a quality opponent could also be huge for the Sixers as they look to regain some of the confidence they've lost over the past few games.
Sixers 113, Celtics 109
Jaylen Brown: 30 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists
MORE: Latest Sixers news, analysis and more
Follow Philly Sports Network on Twitter for the latest in Philly sports.
