The Philadelphia 76ers (11-39) will play their final road game prior to the All-Star break this evening against one of their Atlantic Division foes, the Boston Celtics (18-30).
Looking Back:
First Meeting - November 19, 2014 - L 90-101:
With the game tied at 46 in the half, the Celtics ultimately outscored the Sixers by five points in the third quarter and six in the fourth en-route to their 11-point margin of victory. The Sixers came within five points of tying the game with the fourth quarter half-way completed, however a 6-0 run by their opposition ended hopes of completing a comeback. Guard Tony Wroten, off the bench, led the team in points (21). Boston outshot Philadelphia 49.4% to 39.5%.
Second Meeting - December 15, 2015 - L 87-105:
The Sixers jumped out to an early 11-2 lead after Boston missed their first nine shots, however a 28-14 run by the Celtics negated Philadelphia's early advantage. Center Nerlens Noel led the Sixers in points (19) and rebounds (8) over 29 minutes of court action. The Celtics never trailed by more than 12 points in the second half, and led by as many as 26 points. Their 44.2% shooting percentage bested the Sixers' 35.5%.
What to Watch For:
- Nerlens Noel will be playing in his hometown for the first time in his career. Comcast SportsNet's Dei Lynam provides a timeline behind tonight's long-awaited arrival for the rookie center.
- Noel has had at least two blocks in six straight games. (Longest streak since Samuel Dalembert's 14 consecutive games in 2007-2008.)
- Forward Robert Covington has scored in double-figures in five consecutive games.
- The Sixers will look to snap their seven-game road losing streak. Twice last season, they lost 13 consecutive road games. Philadelphia hasn't had a winning road record since 2002-2003 (23-18). They are (5-21) this season.
- Former Sixer watch: Boston's Evan Turner has seen more playing time with the team since the departure of point guard Rajon Rondo to the Dallas Mavericks. Turner, 26, is averaging 8.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game this season.
Game Information:
- Tip-off: 7:30 pm EST
- TV: CSN | Radio: 97.5 FM
- Sixers injuries: Michael Carter-Williams (game-time decision, sore foot), Joel Embiid (right foot), Jason Richardson (left knee), Tony Wroten (right knee), Andrei Kirilenko (not with team).
- Celtics injuries: Tayshaun Prince (hip), Avery Bradley (thumb).
Atlantic Division Standings:
- Toronto Raptors (33-17)
- Brooklyn Nets (20-28, 12 GB)
- Boston Celtics (18-30, 14 GB)
- Philadelphia 76ers (11-39, 22 GB)
- New York Knicks (10-39, 22.5 GB)
Matt Rappa (@mattrappa) is a contributor to Sixerdelphia.com.
