After a pair of off days, the 76ers (34-22) are back in action Tuesday in South Philadelphia, hosting the Boston Celtics (33-25).
The Sixers will seek their third consecutive victory Tuesday. The team holds the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, 2.5 games behind the No. 1 Miami Heat (37-20).
New 76ers James Harden and Paul Millsap practiced alongside their teammates for the first time as Sixers Monday.
While Millsap is available Tuesday, Harden is out (left hamstring injury recovery).
Following Monday’s practice, Georges Niang discussed running with Harden as teammates for the first time.
“I’m just happy that I’m not on the other side of a James Harden team… Whenever you can have two guys (Joel Embiid and Harden) on the court at the same time that are that talented, it’s going to be special.”
After falling, 88-87, in their first matchup with the Celtics this season in Boston on Dec. 1, the Sixers won the next two.
Embiid led the way in the Sixers’ 108-103 victory on Dec. 20 in Boston, notching a 41-point, 10-rebound double-double. He shot 14-for-27 from the field and 12-for-14 from the line.
Tobias Harris added 25 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and a steal. He shot 7-for-13 from the field and 3-for-3 from deep.
In the next win, 111-99, Jan. 14 in Philadelphia, Embiid led the way once again, notching a 25-point, 13-rebound double-double. The five-time All-Star shot 7-for-15 from the field and 9-for-9 from long range.
Tyrese Maxey added 23 points, five assists, and a steal, shooting 8-for-16 from deep and 5-for-5 from deep.
Tuesday’s matchup tips at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Opponent Outlook:
The Celtics (33-25) enter on an eight-game winning streak.
Jayson Tatum (25.7 PPG) and Jaylen Brown (23.5 PPG) are Boston's leading scorers. Robert Williams III averages a team-leading 9.7 rebounds per game for the club with the second-best rebounding average in the NBA. The Celtics' leading assist man is Marcus Smart at 5.4 assists per contest.
Tuesday is the front end of a back-to-back for the Celtics, as they are scheduled to host Detroit on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
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