Oct 25, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Dominick Barlow (25) dunks the ball against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Sixers To Miss Key Rotation Piece Against Celtics

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Declan Harris | Last updated Oct 31, 2025 11:50 AM ET

On Friday night, the Philadelphia 76ers will welcome the Boston Celtics into the Xfinity Mobile Arena for the opening match of the NBA Cup tournament.

The Sixers are going into Friday night off of a come-from-behind overtime win against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night. The Wizards were looking to be the team to break Philadelphia’s spotless records, as they were far ahead by 19 points at one time in the game, but a 34-point outburst from the Sixers would have something else to say about that.

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Tyrese Maxey led the way for Philadelphia, scoring 39 points on 44 percent shooting from the field, along with ten assists. Nine of the former All-Star’s points would come in overtime.

While Maxey was the offensive motor of the team, especially in the second half, Adem Bona was the defensive anchor down the stretch, recording seven blocks in total, with four of them coming in the fourth quarter alone, when the Sixers needed every stop they could get.

The back-to-back aspect could’ve been to blame for the Sixers taking some time getting into Tuesday night’s match, which wasn’t helped when it’s considered that Paul George, Jared McCain, and Dominick Barlow all missed out on the action.

Will Dominick Barlow return on Friday night against Boston?

While it was initially thought that Barlow would only miss the two games following his injury against the Charlotte Hornets in late October, it appears that it’ll be taking more time than expected, as the 22-year-old has been listed as out against the Celtics.

This will be Barlow’s third absence of the year, during a season that saw him be a crucial part of Nick Nurse’s plans, either starting or coming in off the bench to help bolster Philadelphia’s front court.

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Across his two appearances for the Sixers so far this season, Barlow has averaged 7.5 points and six rebounds per game. It’s also important to note that the 22-year-old’s time with the Sixers isn’t entirely guaranteed, as he is a two-way player, meaning he could spend some time in the G League with the Delaware Blue Coats.

Some of this was to help fill in for the absence of Trendon Watford, who made his Sixers debut on Tuesday night against the Wizards after dealing with an injury setback relating to his right hamstring.

While on a minutes restriction, Watford put up seven points and grabbed four assists in his debut.

The Sixers take on the Celtics on Friday night for the opening match of the NBA Cup tournament, with tip-off from the Xfinity Mobile Arena slated for 7:00 p.m. EST.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia 76ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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