There are new leaders of the Eastern Conference in the NBA, and the top two in the conference will meet again this weekend, as the Boston Celtics will be looking to end their recent run of defeats.
Celtics Looking To End Recent Losing Run
It has been a disappointing week for the Celtics, as they will come into the second game of a back-to-back against the Sixers having lost their last two games. The most recent of those defeats came against the Sixers on Wednesday evening. Boston started and finished that game slowly, as they were outscored in the first and fourth quarters. They were outscored 32-25 in the opening period before their final quarter performance saw them outscored 31-17. That final period was ultimately where the game was decided, as they finished 117-109 behind at the final buzzer.
The two defeats in a row have seen the Celtics drop from first to third over the last seven days. Jaylen Brown scored 26 points in the midweek defeat to the Sixers, while Marcus Smart registered 25. Daniel Theis scored 23, while Kemba Walker scored 19 points. Boston were particularly disappointing from the free-throw line in that defeat, as they scored on just 13 of their 20 efforts. Meanwhile, they scored on 47.2% of their efforts from the field, and 36.4% of their efforts from beyond the arc.
Sixers Searching For Double Over Celtics
The Sixers are now the Eastern Conference leaders, as they managed to recover from the defeat that they suffered at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies to beat to Celtics on Wednesday night. They will be aware that there is still a long way to go in the season, but they will be pleased with the performances that they have put in thus far. Joel Embiid put in a stunning display on Wednesday night, as he recorded a double-double, with 42 points and ten rebounds. Meanwhile, Tobias Harris scored 22 points in his 40 minutes on the court, and Shake Milton and Danny Green ended with 16 and 12 points respectively.
There will still be parts of their game that they will be looking to improve, as they recorded lower accuracy percentages than the Celtics from the field and beyond the arc. The Sixers scored on just 33.3% of their efforts from three-point range, while they scored on 46.2% of their attempts from the field. However, their increased efficiency from the free-throw line put them on course for the win, as they scored 80% of their attempts. However, the Sixers will be aware that they will need to raise their game in the second game against the Celtics in the space of three days.
Boston Celtics @ Philadelphia 76ers Picks
The Sixers put a marker down for the season ahead with the win that they achieved against the Celtics on Wednesday. However, we will expect a response from the Celtics this weekend and see them ending their two-match losing run with a victory.
