76ers vs. Celtics: Key Talking Points

Coming off their loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, the Philadelphia 76ers travel to Boston for a meeting with the Boston Celtics. This is the third of four matchups between these two teams this season. 

Heading into Friday, the Sixers and Celtics are still two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Boston currently sits in first place with a record of 14-4, with the Sixers in fourth at 12-6. 

The season series currently sits at one apiece between these longtime rivals. Joel Embiid and company won the first matchup in a nail-biter, and then a shorthanded Celtics lineup managed to get revenge the second time around. 

Here are some of the key talking points as another chapter of this historic rivalry gets ready to be written. 

Can the Sixers contain the Celtics' supporting cast? 

As mentioned before, Boston managed to win the second game of the season series despite being without Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis. This was in large part because of the play of the supporting cast. Derrick White (27 points) and Al Horford (14 points) put together strong outings to propel the Celtics to victory. 

Porzingis remains on the sidelines, but Brown will be back in action this time around. That said, the Sixers must do everything they can to limit the impact of the supporting cast. 

Guys like Jayson Tatum, Brown, and Jrue Holiday are going to get their numbers. That is a given when facing off against star-level talent. However, locking down those around them is the key to victory. If the Sixers are able to silence guys like White and Horford this time around, it could lead to another victory over the Celtics. 

Can the shorthanded Sixers stay competitive? 

Looking at the injury report, the Sixers might find themselves shorthanded for the second straight game. Kelly Oubre and Danuel House remain out, and Joel Embiid, Jaden Springer, and Nic Batum are all day-to-day. Tyrese Maxey was also added to the injury report as questionable with an illness.

In games without Embiid, the Sixers have struggled to stay afloat. In the event that the reigning MVP is out of action again, the supporting cast will need to band together. Given the possible future circumstances, this a game they cannot afford to drop. 

Tyrese Maxey put together one of his top-scoring performances of the year against the Pelicans and would need to do the same against Boston. If he plays, he'll be called on to lead the charge, while the supporting cast will be asked to fill the void left by Embiid. 

Guys like Marcus Morris and Patrick Beverley have caught fire recently, and they'll need to keep the momentum rolling as the Sixers look to stay competitive. 

The importance of this matchup 

With the series being tied at one, this matchup does hold a lot of weight for future implications. If the Sixers want any shot at winning the season series and having the tiebreaker, they'll need to secure this game. 

A victory tonight would give them a split at the worst, no matter what happens in the fourth meeting. Given that the Celtics are on pace to finish towards the top of the East again, it'll be a good thing for the Sixers to have in their back pocket. 

If the Sixers want any shot at contending for a title, Boston is one of the teams they will need to get past. With that in mind, they can't afford to roll over in any matchup with them.