After snapping a four-game losing streak Monday, the Philadelphia 76ers host the Boston Celtics on Thursday at Wells Fargo Center. The 76ers enter the game in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, trailing the third-place Celtics by 2.5 games.
The Sixers will be without star center Joel Embiid, who dislocated his left ring finger in the first quarter of the team’s 120-113 win Monday night. Despite returning to the game and scoring 18 points, Embiid missed practice Tuesday and Wednesday to undergo further testing from a specialist, and has been ruled out for Thursday’s contest.
After missing the previous three games, Celtics point guard Kemba Walker returned to the court Wednesday for Boston’s 129-114 loss to the Spurs, but was promptly ejected in the third quarter after arguing with the referee. It was just the start of an ugly night at TD Garden – a fan was arrested for throwing a beer can onto the court.
As the 76ers look for their third win over the Celtics this season, coach Brett Brown has publicly acknowledged his team’s need to find an offensive identity. Specifically, he’s urged his team — point guard Ben Simmons in particular — to find more consistent three-point shooting. The Sixers rank 23rd in the NBA with 10.8 made 3s per game. With Embiid sidelined, Thursday offers Brown a chance to go smaller with the likes of Furkan Korkmaz, Mike Scott and James Ennis, who could provide some added shooting from behind the arc.
What time does the Celtics-76ers game start?
The game is on Thursday, January 8, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. ET.
Where is the game?
The 76ers are the home team at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
What channel is the game on?
The game will be televised nationally on TNT and locally on NBC Sports Philadelphia.
With a valid cable login, the game can be streamed on TNTdrama.com/watchtnt and the TNT app, as well as NBCsports.com and the NBC Sports app.
Injury report
The 76ers will be without Joel Embiid (finger). Matisse Thybulle (knee) is expected to return to the Sixers’ lineup after being sidelined since Dec. 21, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Celtics point guard Kemba Walker (illness) returned Wednesday after missing the previous three games with the flu.
Betting lines
The 76ers are favored by 2.5 points. The over/under is 215.5.
