The Sixers suffered a 134-137 loss to the Denver Nuggets on February 1, playing without their star center, Joel Embiid. The standout performer was Tyrese Maxey, who put up 42 points, along with 2 rebounds and 9 assists. Kelly Oubre contributed 27 points, while Guerschon Yabusele added 28. Eric Gordon finished with 11 points. Head coach Nick Nurse’s squad currently holds the 11th spot in the Eastern Conference with a 19-28 record.
Key Players: Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre, Guerschon Yabusele, Eric Gordon.
Injuries: Joel Embiid remains sidelined due to a knee injury and hasn’t played since early January. The Sixers are also missing several other key players, including Andre Drummond, Paul George, and Caleb Martin.
Strengths: Despite missing key players, Philadelphia remains a high-scoring team, with Tyrese Maxey leading the charge.
Achievements: The 76ers have won three NBA championships (1955, 1967, and 1983).
The Celtics have won two of their last three games. On February 1, they secured a 118-116 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Jaylen Brown led the way with 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists, while Jayson Tatum recorded a double-double with 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists. Derrick White and Kristaps Porziņģis each scored 16 points, and Luke Kornet added 11. With a 34-15 record, Boston currently sits in second place in the Eastern Conference under head coach Joe Mazzulla.
Key Players: Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Kristaps Porziņģis.
Injuries: The Celtics are heading into this matchup at full strength, with no injured players on the roster.
Strengths: A well-balanced approach on both ends of the floor, a deep roster, and multiple leaders capable of stepping up in clutch moments.
Achievements: The Celtics are the most decorated team in NBA history, boasting 17 championships (most recently in 2008).
Given the current form of both teams, the absence of key players for Philadelphia—especially Joel Embiid—and Boston’s consistency, the Celtics are favored to win this matchup. Expect Boston to secure a victory with an 8-12 point margin.
That said, basketball is an unpredictable game, and much will depend on how the Sixers compensate for their missing stars and how effectively the Celtics execute their offensive game plan.
The Boston Celtics enter the matchup against Philadelphia as the clear favorites. According to oddsmakers, the home team has only a slim chance of pulling off an upset. The reality aligns with these expectations. Once considered a strong title contender at the start of the season, the 76ers now find themselves in danger of missing even the play-in tournament. A series of injuries to key players has turned the team from a championship hopeful into one of the league’s biggest disappointments. Meanwhile, the Celtics continue their dominant campaign, steadily moving toward another deep playoff run.
Bookmakers give odds of 5.00 for Philadelphia, 1.17 for Boston. Total over 220.5 points is 1.78, total under is 1.96.
Prediction: Boston to win with a -9.5 spread, including overtime, at odds of 1.71.
