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Matt Murphy

Two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference meet again Wednesday night in Boston, as the 76ers (34-18) face the Celtics (38-16) for the first time since the NBA season opener on Oct. 18.The Celtics won that opening game, 126-117. James Harden, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown each scored 35 points in the contest. Six-time NBA All-Star Joel Embiid posted 26 points, a game-high 15 rebounds, and five assists.The Sixers are 14-10 on the road, good for the second-best road winning percentage (.583) in the NBA. Boston is first (18-9 away, .667). They beat the Pistons in Detroit, 111-99, in their previous game on Monday behind 16-for-37 (.432) shooting from 3-point range and 34 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists from Tatum.As of Tuesday evening, the injury report included Joel Embiid (questionable - left foot soreness) for the Sixers, as well as the following Celtics: Jaylen Brown (probable - non-COVID illness), Robert Williams III (probable - left ankle sprain), Luke Kornet (probable - left ankle sprain), Marcus Smart (out - right ankle sprain), and Danilo Gallinari (out - left knee ACL repair).

“You do look back,” 76ers Head Coach Doc Rivers said following practice on Tuesday in Camden. “It's funny, San Antonio was a little similar because we played them game two or three and then you play them again. And what's great is looking back and seeing how far you've come from the last time you've played a team. Not necessarily looking at the game. You're just really looking at your team. Defensively and offensively, what are you doing differently? What are you doing better? How much better is your execution? Then you look at the team. Boston's a team that we'll have three times, counting [Wednesday], and then hopefully in the playoffs. There's a chance that we have Boston 10 more times this year.”After Wednesday, the regular season series shifts to South Philadelphia on Feb. 25 and April 4.The Sixers’ last outing was a 108-97 road loss to the Knicks on Sunday evening. New York pieced together a comeback — the Sixers led 33-12 late in the first quarter — with the help of 31 combined points from reserves Evan Fournier (5-8 3fg) and Miles McBride (3-6 3fg, 5-6 ft).

Now, another big stage on the road provides an even bigger opportunity to bounce back.“Yeah, absolutely,” Georges Niang said about this being a chance for a statement win. “I mean, you're playing the number one team in the Eastern Conference. They went to the Finals last year, they're the team that came out of the East. So of course this is a statement game.”

Wednesday is a 7:30 p.m. start in Boston.

Six 76ers reached double figures scoring against the Knicks.

“We just want him to keep playing the way he plays,”&nbsp; Doc Rivers said of Tucker. “I think his value will still come more later than it is now. We all know that... We love what he's bringing to this team. This team needs toughness, this team needs defensive knowledge and talk. P.J. provides all of that for us."

Embiid extended his streak of games with at least 25 points and 10 rebounds to six straight, the longest active streak in the league and the third-longest stretch by any player this season.

Georges Niang on another Boston homecoming:"It's like a blessing and a curse. You want a bunch of people to see you that have helped pave the way to get me here, but yeah, I try to tell people if my mom doesn't know your first and last name, I don't know if I can leave you a ticket. It is going to be a bunch. I haven't gotten the final count, but I'm sure I'll do that when I get on the plane. It's a blessing to have that many people come support me when I come back home."

Watch: ESPN, NBC Sports PhiladelphiaListen: 97.5 The Fanatic

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76ers Face Celtics in Boston | Gameday Report 53/82

Lauren Rosen

The 76ers (34-17) continue to roll - having won 22 of their last 27 games and nine of their last 10.Next up: A Sunday visit to Madison Square Garden.The Sixers and Knicks (28-26) last met on Christmas Day, when the Sixers took a dramatic 119-112 win home for the holidays.Joel Embiid led the way in that matchup, finishing with 35 points and eight rebounds. James Harden added 29 points, four rebounds, 13 assists, and four steals.

Julius Randle was New York’s leading scorer on Christmas Day, scoring 35 points of his own, plus eight rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block.The Sixers have continued building since, most recently notching a 137-125 victory - their eighth straight road win - over the San Antonio Spurs (14-39) Friday in San Antonio.Embiid also led the way in that matchup, notching a 33-point, 10-rebound double-double, plus four assists and two steals.The bench excelled in the win, out-scoring the Spurs’ reserves, 67-42, and fueled by Tyrese Maxey’s 25-point, three-rebound, four-assist outing.“[The bench was] good, and we need it,” Embiid said postgame. “Obviously it’s always a plus if you can get that type of contribution from the bench, so we just need to keep on going.”Embiid praised Maxey’s assertiveness and control over his unit as well:“Tyrese is being aggressive, looking for his shot. Obviously him coming off the bench, you want him to look for his shot, and be that spark off the bench.”

In turn, Maxey praised the team’s other bench players, starting with his continued chemistry with Shake Milton (14 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl):“It’s easy when you have a guy like Shake, who can play on the ball, off the ball, who’s unselfish, and knows how to play the right way.” Maxey said. “You have multiple guys in that lineup with Georges, Montrezl, Matisse, [Danuel] House, sometimes the big fella plays with us as well. Everybody knows how to play the right way - if we can get stops, we can be extremely dangerous.”Embiid (left foot soreness) is questionable for Sunday’s matchup.The Knicks will be facing the second half of a back-to-back Sunday, after falling to the Clippers, 134-128, in overtime&nbsp;

Sunday’s matchup is a 6:00 p.m. ET start.

Embiid, on Harden’s (16 pts, 4 reb, 8 ast) continued impact on the team’s success:“James is our point guard. Everything runs through him. He gets guys easy shots. As a playmaker, I don’t think there’s anybody better in the league, as far as getting guys wide open shots and running our offense.”

Georges Niang on Friday: 13 PTS / 3 REB / 2 AST / 5-8 fg / 3-5 3fg

Watch: ESPN / NBC Sports PhiladelphiaListen: 97.5 The Fanatic

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76ers Return to Madison Square Garden | Gameday Report 52/82

76ers Head Coach Doc Rivers Named January Eastern Conference Coach of the Month;Joel Embiid Named January Eastern Conference Player of the Month, Embiid Also Selected to NBA All-Star GameThe 76ers (33-17) are an NBA-best 21-5 since Dec. 9, and now arrive in San Antonio for their next game on Friday night against the Spurs (14-38). It’s the first of three straight road games, with the New York Knicks (Sunday, 6 PM) and Boston Celtics (Wednesday, 7:30 PM) to follow.On Thursday, the Sixers racked up a couple of awards for their strong month of January, with Doc Rivers and Joel Embiid earning Eastern Conference Coach of the Month and Player of the Month honors, respectively.Embiid averaged 34.9 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game and Rivers led the Sixers to an NBA-best 11-3 record last month.The Spurs lost to Sacramento, 119-109, on Wednesday. Domantas Sabonis scored a season-high 34 points for the Kings, while Spurs rookie Malaki Branham posted a season-high 22 points (9-13 fg, 3-5 3fg, 1-2 ft) with five assists as a reserve on the other side. The 19-year-old Branham was the No. 20 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft after one season at Ohio State.On the injury report as of Thursday night, Embiid (left foot soreness) was once again listed as questionable. Romeo Langford (out - left adductor tightness) has missed the last five games for San Antonio, while teammate Devin Vassell (left knee procedure) remains out. Rookie lottery pick Jeremy Sochan (lower back soreness) is also out, and Tre Jones (left foot soreness) is doubtful.

Friday marks the second and final game in the season series between the teams. The Spurs won, 114-105, on the road at the end of October despite a 40-point game from Embiid.Most recently, the Sixers bounced back from a Monday loss to the Orlando Magic by getting back in the win column against Orlando, 105-94, on Wednesday. Embiid (28 points, 11 rebounds) and James Harden (26 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists) both notched a double-double in the win.Harden connected on a season-high six 3-point field goals and was one off his season average of 11.0 assists per game, the most for any NBA player.“When you play a team twice [consecutively], it’s going to be a slugfest,” Doc Rivers said postgame. “I didn’t think we played great, but we played good enough to win. You’ll take that.”The Magic scored just 16 points in the fourth quarter.“Our defense,” Harden identified as a key to the closing run. “Holding them to one shot, turning them over, and just getting out in transition. It makes our job a lot easier when we rebound. When we don't, it makes it more difficult. That's not just tonight, that's every game.”

The Sixers hit the 50-game mark last time out and picked up their 33rd win. Their 33-17 (.667) record is good for third in the Eastern Conference and fourth in the NBA.“I think we're a team that's never really satisfied,” Shake Milton said. “Every day we go into work, we're continuing to get better. From the defensive end to the offensive end, continuing to be unselfish and playing for one another. I'm excited to see where this team goes.”Friday’s game is an 8 p.m. ET start in San Antonio.

On Thursday night, Joel Embiid was named an NBA All Star for the sixth straight season. The 72nd NBA All-Star Game will be played Feb. 19 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

San Antonio’s Doug McDermott on playing against James Harden and Tyrese Maxey, following the October meeting between the 76ers and Spurs in Philadelphia:“They’re so talented. Maxey is super quick, it’s hard to contain him. You almost have to run him off the line and make him finish over Jakob [Poeltl], which is kind of what we did. James, he’s a great scorer, but he’s also getting everyone involved. It’s a tough duo and they’re going to be really good this year, obviously. I think they’ll go really far.”

Watch: NBC Sports PhiladelphiaListen: 97.5 The Fanatic

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76ers Visit San Antonio Spurs Friday Night | Gameday Report 51/82

The next game on the slate for the 76ers (32-17) – game No. 50 overall – features the same opponent in the Orlando Magic (20-31). The Magic earned a 119-109 road victory over the Sixers on Monday at The Center, with the two teams set to play again in Philadelphia on Wednesday.The contest marks the fourth and final game of the season series between the clubs, with the Sixers holding a 2-1 edge. They swept a two-game series in Orlando at the end of November.As of Tuesday evening, both teams listed one player each as questionable on the injury report: Joel Embiid (left foot soreness) for Philadelphia and Wendell Carter Jr. (right foot plantar fascia strain) for Orlando. Carter Jr.'s teammate Chuma Okeke (left knee surgery) remains out.

In Monday’s meeting, the Sixers got off to a fast start and led 30-17 after the first quarter. They upped their lead to as many as 21 points in the second quarter, but the Magic ultimately climbed back behind some physical play and timely shot-making.Rookie No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero posted 29 points (11-22 fg, 3-5 3fg, 4-5 ft), nine rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one blocked shot in 36 minutes for the visitors. He finished one point shy of the Sixers’ Embiid for the game-high scoring total.Embiid recorded yet another 20-point half by scoring 21 of his 30 in the first two quarters.

“You have to give him credit. He’s a good player,” 76ers Head Coach Doc Rivers said of Banchero. “He made some adjustments on his own. We didn’t change anything defensively. But we gave up 35 points in the second quarter and we gave up 42 points in the third quarter. A couple of things before the game that we talked about were offensive rebounds and turnovers. [Those plays] give that team energy because they’re long, they’re athletic, it gets them out running, and then once they get their offense going it gives them energy.”Banchero leads his team – and all NBA rookies – in scoring with 20.7 points per game.The Sixers committed 19 turnovers compared to Orlando’s 10, and the Magic posted 28 fast-break points as well as 22 second-chance points on 15 offensive rebounds.Round four of this matchup also concludes a four-game homestand for the Sixers, who will visit San Antonio on Friday, followed by trips to New York and Boston.Wednesday’s game is another 7 p.m. start in South Philadelphia.Elsewhere in the organization, the Delaware Blue Coats – the NBA G League affiliate of the 76ers – had their leading scorer Mac McClung selected Tuesday as one of seven G League players for the 2023 NBA Rising Stars Game at NBA All-Star Weekend.

“I don’t think it’s a conscious thing,” Thybulle said of his aggressiveness. “I think it’s just trying to play hard and make a difference when I get out there on the court.”

Denver Nuggets Head Coach Michael Malone on James Harden and Joel Embiid, prior to the Sixers’ win over the Nuggets on Saturday:“If you look at the last 10 years in the league, James kind of revolutionized the game. The scoring, the shot-making, the ability to draw fouls and get to the foul line. So when you couple two guys like that together… Having two great players that can score at will, it seems, and you surround them with some really capable role-type players, you have a chance to do something special.”“It is a challenge guarding Joel. Not one player can guard him one-on-one. It’s a team effort and you can say the same thing about guarding James Harden.”

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76ers Face Magic Again in Homestand Finale | Gameday Report 50/82

The 76ers (32-16) will seek their eighth consecutive victory Monday, hosting the Orlando Magic (19-31).After an impressive 126-119 victory over the Denver Nuggets (34-16) on Saturday, the Sixers are 20-4 in their last 24 games.The Sixers have risen to No. 2 in the Eastern Conference, trailing the No. 1 Boston Celtics (36-15) by 2.5 games.Joel Embiid had one of his best showings of the season, scoring a game-high 47 points and 18 rebounds (season high).Embiid continues to lead the NBA in scoring, averaging 33.8 points per game.Saturday was also a standout night for P.J. Tucker, who spent much of the second half guarding two-time MVP Nikola Jokic (24 pts, 8 reb, 9 ast).“I watched the Miami game from a year ago, and I thought Tuck did a really good job on [Jokic],” Doc Rivers said postgame. “We just felt like at halftime, we weren’t up into him - he was catching it where he wanted to catch it.”The halftime adjustment made all the difference.“Listen, Joel was phenomenal,” Rivers added. “He had 47 points, but we don’t win the game if P.J. Tucker doesn’t play. The way he played in the second half was extraordinary.”Monday’s meeting marks the first in a two-game set between the Sixers and Magic, with the second to be played Wednesday.The first two games between the teams was also a two-game series, played Nov. 25 and 27 in Orlando. The then-shorthanded Sixers won both, 107-99, on Nov. 25 and 133-103 on Nov. 27.Chuma Okeke (left knee surgery) is out for Orlando Monday. Embiid (left foot soreness) is questionable.

Monday’s matchup is a 7:00 p.m. ET start.

Tobias Harris on Joel Embiid:“It was great. He [Joel Embiid] was dominant. I thought once the second half came, he was really able to settle down and be in the zone of the game. Just understanding how to get us all going out there to get in a flow to make the game easier for him. For him to just continue to pick his spots. I thought he did a great job of that in the second half as well.”

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76ers Host Magic, Seeking Eighth Straight W | Gameday Report 49/82

76ers PR

The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Denver Nuggets, 126-119, en route to their seventh consecutive win. Philadelphia scored 126 points on .517 shooting (18-35 3FG), marking the first time this season the team has scored 125-plus points while shooting at least 50-percent from both the field and beyond the arc (Stathead).

Dating back to the 1987-88 season,&nbsp;Philadelphia has won 24 straight games when scoring at least 125 points on 50-percent shooting from the field and three (Stathead).

JOEL EMBIID scored a game-high 47 points on 18-of-31 shooting and hauled in a season-high 18 rebounds, marking the first time this season and the fourth time in his NBA career that he's tallied at least 45 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists. That leads the NBA in such games since the start of the 2016-17 season (Stathead). 

Embiid is the second player in franchise history to produce at least four games of 45-plus points, 15-plus rebounds, and five-plus assists, joining Hall of Famer WILT CHAMBERLAIN (Stathead). Embiid is the third player in NBA history to record at least 47 points, 18 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocked shots. He joins CHRIS WEBBER (1/5/01) and BOB MCADOO (3/18/75) with such games.

This marked Embiid's 33rd&nbsp;career game with 40 points and 10 rebounds, since 1976-77, he has the second-most 40-10 outings, trailing only Hall of Famer&nbsp;SHAQUILLE O'NEAL&nbsp;(43), per ESPN Stats & Info.

Embiid's 36.6 scoring average in 19 games against Western Conference opponents leads all Eastern Conference competitors (NBA.com/stats). 

JAMES HARDEN&nbsp;recorded 17 points and 13 assists, marking his 19th&nbsp;game this season&nbsp;with at least 15 points and 10 assists. That's tied for third-most by an NBA player this season (Stathead).&nbsp;

GEORGES NIANG&nbsp;poured in 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc off the bench, marking the 10th&nbsp;time this season he's connected on at least four three-pointers this season (PHI: 9-1 in such games).

NEXT UP: The 76ers homestand continues with two matchups with the Orlando Magic on Monday and Wednesday. Philadelphia heads into the first with a seven-game win streak. The game will air on NBC Sports Philadelphia and on the radio on 97.5 The Fanatic at 7 p.m.

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Joel Embiid Drops 47 in Showdown with Jokic, Nuggets; Sixers Win Seventh Straight

The Philadelphia 76ers (31-16) – winners of six straight games and 19 of their last 23 – meet the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets (34-15) in their next game, a Saturday showdown in South Philadelphia slated for 3 p.m. ET.Joel Embiid is the NBA’s leading scorer, averaging 33.4 points per game along with 9.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.7 blocked shots for the East’s second-place squad in the Sixers. Two-time reigning league MVP Nikola Jokić of the Nuggets currently posts 25.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 9.9 assists per contest.Denver fell to the Milwaukee Bucks, 107-99, without Jokić on Wednesday. Aaron Gordon tallied 26 points and 14 rebounds, while Wilmington, Delaware native Bones Hyland added 15 points off the bench in the loss.The injury report on Friday afternoon listed Embiid as questionable due to left foot soreness, as well as the following Nuggets: Jokić (probable - left hamstring tightness), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (probable - right wrist sprain), Jamal Murray (questionable - left hip sprain), Bruce Brown (questionable - left knee inflammation), Collin Gillespie (out - right lower leg fracture), and Jack White (out - left adductor strain).

The Sixers enter the game coming off a 137-133 home victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, in front of what 76ers Head Coach Doc Rivers described as a “boxing crowd” because of the matchup.

“Sixers fans, you know they’re always like that,” Embiid said postgame. “That’s what they bring every single game. That’s the reason why you love playing in Philly because they show up and are passionate. When you’re losing, they’re going to let you know. When you’re winning, they’re also going to let you know about it. So, I think the passion is the same.”It was the fourth time in team history that the Sixers shot at least 50-percent (.512) from the floor, 45-percent (.474) from 3-point range, and 95-percent (.972, 35-for-36) from the free-throw line in a single game. Brooklyn registered final totals of .645 from the floor and .538 from three in defeat.“I think, if you’re a fan, it was a very exciting game,” 76ers Assistant Coach Dave Joerger said after Friday’s practice. “Just a lot of great plays, a lot of shot-making, and it’s certainly exciting that we got the win.”

Both the Sixers and the Nuggets rank in the top five of the NBA for Net Rating, which measures a team’s point differential per 100 possessions: No. 3 Denver (4.2) and No. 5 Philadelphia (4.1).“We have a dominant big man. They have a dominant big man,” Joerger said. “It’s a matchup you sit up in your seat for to watch Joel and Jokić play against each other. And obviously they’re number one in the West and we feel like we have a good team as well, so it should be a heck of a game.”The Sixers’ homestand continues with two games against the Orlando Magic (Monday and Wednesday) after the Nuggets over the weekend.

The Sixers improved to 11-0 this season when at least six players score in double figures.

Tyrese Maxey on coming off the bench:“I just want to go out there and play, honestly. I was out for however long – seven, eight weeks – I don’t even know how much it was. It doesn’t matter. Sixth man, eighth man, I don’t care. I just want to go out there and play, but it’s a little bit different because of who’s on the floor… You know when James and Joel are on the court, they’re so dominant in their two-man game that whoever’s on the court has to be ready to shoot the ball. Teams are trying to take their two-man game away and then when they’re off the court, I just try to go out there and be as aggressive as I can and help us get into offense and get shots for the guys or for myself.”

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Joel Embiid, 76ers Welcome Nuggets and Nikola Jokić | Gameday Report 48/82

Coming off a perfect 5-0 road trip, the 76ers (30-16) return home looking to maintain momentum against the Brooklyn Nets (29-17) on Wednesday night.The Nets, who are 16-10 away from home this season (only Boston has more road wins with 17), captured victories at Utah on Friday and Golden State on Sunday. In their 120-116 win over the defending-champion Warriors, Brooklyn overcame a 17-point deficit late in the first half and finished the game shooting 54-percent from the floor and 52-percent (14-27) from 3-point range. They missed a season-high 11 free throws.Kyrie Irving posted a game-high 38 points (12-22 fg, 5-7 3fg, 9-9 ft) with seven rebounds and nine assists.&nbsp;Leading scorer Kevin Durant (MCL sprain) remains out. The full injury report – as of Tuesday night – included the following Sixers: Joel Embiid (questionable - left foot soreness) and Furkan Korkmaz (out - right shoulder soreness).

Irving averages 26.7 points per game, second to Durant’s 29.7 points, and fourth-year pro Nic Claxton is Brooklyn’s leading rebounder (8.7 RPG). Over the past five games, Claxton is averaging 19.2 points on 73-percent shooting, along with 11.0 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks.On Nov. 22, the Sixers defeated the Nets, 115-106, without Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey. The victors tallied 47 bench points in the home contest, including a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double from Paul Reed and 16 points (4-5 3fg) in 17 minutes from Georges Niang.In their last game, a 129-127 win over the Kings in Sacramento to conclude the undefeated, five-game trip, the Sixers rallied from 21-down – their largest comeback victory to date this season. They did so in the absence of both Embiid (left foot injury recovery) and Harden (right foot tendon strain).

Danuel House Jr. banked in a 3-pointer at the first-half buzzer to cut the deficit to 10, and Maxey started the second half with a flurry, scoring 10 of his 15 third-quarter points in the first three minutes of the frame.“I think even before the third quarter, when [Danuel] House got in – his energy at the end of the first half and then he hit that big three to end the half,” Maxey said. “I think that’s when the energy shifted. We knew we had a chance to win, but Coach Doc said it, we were going to win the game. ‘Let’s get it to 15’. Once we get it to 15, then we get it to 10. We get to 10, then we got a shot.”The Sixers registered 70 points in the paint and 23 second chance points on 16 offensive rebounds.“I just think we have a resilient group,” Niang said. “No matter who is there, we’re just going to come in and continue to fight. Obviously we were down big early. We dug ourselves out of a hole, I think twice actually. We just kept fighting. I think we have a group of guys that’s really willing to put their egos aside and no matter who’s playing just show up every day and give everything they have. If we’re close at the end, we’ll make our plays and I think that’s huge to have guys that are resilient like that.”Both the Sixers and Nets boast top-10 rankings for both offensive and defensive rating. From beyond the arc, the clubs are second (BKN, .389) and fourth (PHI, .380) in 3-point percentage.After facing the Nets, the Sixers will host Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets on Saturday at 3 p.m.

Without Embiid and Harden available, six 76ers stepped up to score at least 14 points against the Kings. Of those six players, five of them also had at least five rebounds, and four members of the group delivered at least five assists:

Sacramento Kings Head Coach Mike Brown on the Sixers:“You've got to give Philadelphia a lot of credit. They were shorthanded, they came in here – their coaches on the coaching staff to the players, you've got to give them all credit. Shorthanded, came in here, they just physically kicked our behind. We could not get them off the offensive glass. Montrezl Harrell was an absolute beast. Paul Reed was an absolute beast.”

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Hosting Nets, 76ers Aim for Sixth Straight Win | Gameday Report 47/82

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