No better way to wind down after a stressful holiday than Sixers-Celtics

Happy Holidays from the Liberty Ballers staff! There’s no better way to decompress from the stressful Holiday season than watching the Philadelphia 76ers face off against the Boston Celtics, right?

The Sixers are coming off a drama-filled victory against the San Antonio Spurs, which saw Andre Drummond ejected, then un-ejected, and Joel Embiid later ejected. At least from an officiating perspective, the bar is set low heading into this game. From a team perspective, it was a very encouraging win, with this Boston game setting the table for them to start truly turning things around on the year.

Before diving into some key areas to watch, there are a few names on the injury report for both sides. Joel Embiid, as expected, is good to go for this game. Andre Drummond is questionable with a toe sprain that sidelined him most of the Spurs game. KJ Martin will also be out for a few weeks dealing with a stress reaction. For the Celtics, all of Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum and Derrick White are listed as questionable.

The reigning champion Celtics have been exactly what many projected heading into the season — a top-tier team with an abundance of talent surrounding their two All-Stars, Jaylen Brown and Tatum. Payton Prichard, in particular, has been their biggest surprise, averaging a hair under 16 points and making a serious run at the Sixth Man of the Year award.

From a defensive standpoint, there is no better test for the new-look Sixers than the Celtics. Everything starts with their star wing duo, with Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Caleb Martin likely taking the bulk of the assignment. On the other end of the court, White and Holiday (if available) will make life difficult for Tyrese Maxey, who is coming off one of his strongest performances of the season.

The Celtics have emphasized acquiring mobile bigs who are capable of shooting and playing from the perimeter, which will test Embiid’s mobility on the defensive end. Since returning from injury/suspension, he’s moved well and has looked like the Embiid we’ve all come to know. He should particularly have fresh legs after the last game, considering he only played around nine minutes.

This game is slated to be just the third full game in which the Sixers have had their Big 3 of Maxey, George and Embiid in 27 regular season games. Apart from the playoffs, Christmas Day gives teams the biggest stage they’ll have all season. A strong Sixers showing against their rival and defending world champions would restore confidence in what has been a season draped in negativity.

Fortunately, it seems like the Sixers are turning the ship around. They’re 7-3 in their last 10 games, with their offense trending up from the basement of the standings to 17th overall. Their defense is 10th best in the league during this span as well. On the year, the Celtics ranked 10th in offense and seventh in defense.

Wrapping up this preview with a festive bow, we’d like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday season. Soon enough, we’ll find out if the Sixers are delivering a holiday treat or leaving us with a lump of coal.

Game Details

Who: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics

When: 5:00 p.m. ET