The 2018-19 NBA season tips off tonight when the Philadelphia 76ers take on the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden. Hers is how we are breaking down tonight’s game.
Philadelphia 76ers Vs Boston Celtics Game Day Preview – Guard Position
Ben Simmons vs Kyrie Irving: Irving is a proven winner who made a living with his clutch shooting and ability to close out games. There’s no denying Irving is the better offensive player, averaging 11.7 points more than Simmons in three head-to-head matchups, all Celtics victories. However, Simmons is the more polished defender. His size, at 6-foot-10 versus Irving’s 6-foot-4, make him the toughest cover in the NBA. It will be interesting to see how Irving’s mobility is holding up. Irving has three different knee surgeries 36 months. Advantage: Sixers
Markelle Fultz vs Jaylen Brown: Fultz is an unknown commodity in the NBA. The Sixers believe he can be a plus defender and elite. Meanwhile, Brown was thrown into the mix last year and logged tough minutes during the Celtics’ playoff run. He has upped his scoring from 14.5 points to 18.0. He also was a persistent pest with his attacking defense in transition. Advantage: Celtics
Philadelphia 76ers Vs BOS Forward Position
Robert Covington vs. Jayson Tatum: The hype train for Tatum is riding at warp speed, shifting gears from lofty comparisons to Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant. He looked like the real deal in the playoff series against the Sixers, elevating his regular-season scoring from 13.9 points to 18.5, while causing an avalanche of memes mocking the Sixers for trading up and taking Fultz over him. Tatum is clearly the better offensive weapon, but it’s the intangibles that Covington brings that make this an attractive match-up problem. Covington is an elite on-the-ball defender, as evidenced by his first-team All-Defense selection, and he’s a more skilled passer and better rebounder. Advantage: Sixers
Dario Saric vs. Gordon Hayward: There are sure to be some opening night jitters for Hayward who broke his leg in the first five minutes of his Celtics debut last season. Hayward fits the old-school Celtics mold, in the image of Larry Bird – and he’s making his first appearance in front of the Boston faithful. They will be cheering every time he touches the ball, which will be limited after coach Brad Stevens put him on a 25-minute per game restriction. Still, he’s a dangerous stretch 4 who possesses a killer mid-range shot and deadly three-ball. Saric can be a streaky shooter, sometimes disappearing for long stretches, but his athleticism makes him a triple threat. But Saric is dealing with back problems that could alter his game. Advantage: Celtics
Philadelphia 76ers Vs Celtics – Center Position
Joel Embiid vs. Al Horford: Horford looked like he had jumped in the DeLorean with the way he manned up on Embiid in last year’s playoffs, clogging the lane and making the young Sixers center work for everything. Embiid looked out of shape and gassed by the end of it. Horford has enjoyed a great amount of team success in this match-up with a 7-2 record, but the individual stats lean heavy for Embiid – 21.1 points against 15.6 and 13.1 rebounds against 8.3. The Sixers are committed to making Embiid the focal point of their offense, promising to feed him inside and back him off the three-point line. The constant punishment under the basket may prove too much for the 32-year-old Horford to endure. Advantage: Sixers
NBA PHI Vs BOS – Benches
Celtics Bench: The Celtics own one of the deepest and most talented benches in the entire NBA. Terry Rozier is a straight assassin who can heat up in a hurry and Marcus Smart is severely underrated, with Marcus Morris, Robert Williams and Aron Baynes supplying their trademark physicality. Another player to keep an eye on is Brad Wanamaker after he dominated during summer-league play in Europe.
Sixers Bench: JJ Redick is the pulse of the second unit as he’s basically their sixth starter, and can heat up just as quickly as Rozier can. But they are down two huge role players going into the opener as they’ll be without backup center and power forward Mike Muscala (ankle) and combo forward Wilson Chandler (hamstring). Two impactful losses, that may lead to more burn for hustle guy Amir Johnson and Turkish wunderkind Furkan Korkmaz. Advantage: Celtics
Philadelphia 76ers Vs Boston Celtics – Game Day & Fantasy Basketball Predictions
- Philadelphia 76ers 112 Boston Celtics 108
- Joel Embiid OVER 28.5 PTS
- TOTAL PTS OVER 209.5
- Any Boston Celtic Will Have A Double Double
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