Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers
Time: 6 PM CT (NBA League Pass)
Spread: BOS -8
Total: 207
Betting odds c/o Pincle
The Philadelphia 76ers may not be much closer to relevancy, but the team has been playing better since it signed free agent point guard Ish Smith a couple weeks ago.
The Sixers won four of 12 games immediately after injecting Smith into the lineup.
And the Sixers have won three of its past 10 games, which while not good, is far better than its .137 win percentage this season. Philly will host the 23-21 Boston Celtics on NBA League Pass at 6 PM Central. NBA oddsmakers favor the Celtics by 8-points in the game, with an over/under set at 207.
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The teams were scheduled to meet already, but the game was postponed making this second-half of the back-to-back broken up. The 76ers last knocked off the struggling Orlando Magic 96-87, coming from behind by virtue of a 20-4 run that opened the fourth quarter for Philly. Jahlil Okafor took advantage of Nikola Vucevic’s mediocre defense early and often, hitting 9 of 17 from the floor en route to 20 points and five boards.
The Sixers also got a double-double from Smith, who posted 13 points and 11 dimes while having the best plus/minus of any starter at +7. Philly also got 51 points from its bench, led by Hollis Thompson’s 17 points on 7 of 10 shooting. The 76ers held Orlando to 39.3 percent shooting in the game and though Philly was out-rebounded 47-41, it did not keep the Sixers from coming back in a game that saw them trail 18-10 out of the gates.
Okafor may be in the Rookie of the Year chase if not for Philly’s poor record. The No. 3 overall pick has averaged 17.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks/steals per game in 31 minutes a night. Over his past five games the Duke big man has averaged 19.6 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 59.2 percent from the field.
A Sixers turnaround begins with Okafor and Smith; while Nerlens Noel’s defensive impact is sure to play a major role as well. Noel left the last game with a headache and blurred vision, but he is expected to play tonight.
Sixers 2-guard Nik Stauskas however remains sidelined with a left shoulder contusion, and he is listed as unlikely to play.
With Philly positioning itself in yet another year of taking, the team could be inline to add the services of LSU’s Ben Simmons, which would ultimately propel this team to the talent-level it has sought through four straight seasons of mailing it in. It looks at though Joel Embiid may be nothing more than another bust, but credit Sam Hinkie for rolling the dice in 2014, as it could have rendered the Sixers with a top frontcourt.
Even as it is, with Okafor and Noel manning the 4/5 spots, the Sixers have a good inside combo that can be built around, if Noel is not used to balance the lineup better by obtaining a guard. Do not tell that to Ish Smith though, who is rightfully plugged in and playing good basketball. Isaiah Canaan, for as good of a shooter as he is, lacked the playmaking ability to get Philly going on the offensive end. Now as a spot up shooter he is serving his best niche and role as an NBA player.
Boston comes in as winners of three of its past five games and it trails the Toronto Raptors by 5.5 games in the Atlantic Division standings. It will likely stay about that way with this being a 45-win team last year that has shown few, if any, improvements. Nevertheless, Brad Stevens is a mastermind of a coach and has his team playing about at the highest level possible given its lack of offensive weapons.
Thomas in the only Celtic with a plus-20 PER, as he averages 21.8 points, 6.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Without his offense the C’s would be in a world of trouble, given that its No. 2 and No. 3 options on the offensive end are primarily defensive minded players in Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder.
The tandem both average 14-plus points per game, but the Celtics will be a much better team when it can add a premier wing scorer to offset Thomas on the wing. This is a team still a piece or two away from being major threats in the postseason. But with Boston’s defense being what it is, do not count out the possibility of Boston upending a higher seed in the playoffs this year.
