These teams are diametrically opposed in so many ways. Boston is the defending champion; Philadelphia has reached one conference championship since 1985. The Celtics are cruising off of stellar chemistry and roster continuity. The Sixers are, well, not doing that.
The Celts come in at 22-7, third in net rating. Philly is 10-17, 24th in net rating, and almost half of its wins are over the blundering Charlotte Hornets. Still, this is a compelling rivalry matchup with top-line star power and narrative intrigue.
How to watch 76ers vs. Celtics
Gift-wrapped good stuff: No one in this sport takes or makes more 3-pointers than Boston. Seven Celtics are averaging at least two made treys per game, and Payton Pritchard has more than doubled his production from deep on very high volume. These guys have weeded out the mid-range jumper in favor of ultra-efficiency on and off the ball. Jayson Tatum has the best effective field goal percentage of his eight pro seasons.
Stocking stuffers: Derrick White is a delight. He has increased his minutes, scoring and offensive rating in each of his four Celtics campaigns. Per Cleaning the Glass, the 30-year-old vet is in the 80th percentile for points per shot attempt, and the 86th percentile for assist-to-usage rate. Opponents are shooting just 40.9 percent on fourth-quarter paint tries against White this season. His transition blocks induce spit-takes.
Derrick White is truly a generational shot blocker pic.twitter.com/EAjOdij9FX
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) December 8, 2024
The heartwarming holiday angle: Guerschon Yabusele is perhaps Philadelphia’s lone bright spot in this Hieronymus Bosch painting of a season. The former Celtics first-round pick was on the outskirts of the league by 2019, and spent the past several seasons overseas in China, France and Spain. He’s maximizing his second life in the NBA, up to nine points a game after averaging below three in Boston. “I just remember grabbing my family and telling them, ‘We might go back,’” Yabusele told The Athletic’s Jared Weiss. “It was really special.”
Best Christmas moments:
- 1984: Moses Malone gave Bill Laimbeer the work, with 28 points and 15 boards in a one-point victory over the Pistons.
- 1967: John Havlicek had a 21-point triple-double in a 134-124 defeat of the Knicks.
76ers vs. Celtics odds
Starting five of players to wear each jersey (minimum 50 games played):
- G — Jrue Holiday
- G — Dana Barros
- F — Evan Turner
- F — Bailey Howell
- C — Al Horford
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images)
