Sixers to open preseason slate with pair of games against rival Boston Celtics

Philly will also face the Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks before the regular season begins on Oct. 24.

Joel Embiid and the Sixers won't have to wait long to see Jayson Tatum and the Celtics again.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

Published Aug. 4, 2023, 10:00 a.m. ET

The 76ers and Boston Celtics apparently cannot get enough of each other.

The Sixers will play their first two contests of a four-game preseason slate against their Atlantic Division archrivals.

The Celtics will play the Sixers at 6 p.m. Oct. 8 at TD Garden. The squads will square off again at 7 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Wells Fargo Center.

Then the Sixers will travel to the Barclays Center on Oct. 16 for a 7:30 p.m. game against the Brooklyn Nets. And they’ll conclude the preseason schedule at home with a 7 p.m. game against the Atlanta Hawks on Oct. 20.

These matchups will come five months after the Celtics defeated the Sixers in seven games in May’s Eastern Conference semifinals. Boston prevailed, 112-88, in Game 7 at TD Garden. Celtics All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum scored 51 points to lead his team to the victory.

Date

Oct. 8

Opponent

at Celtics

Time

6 p.m.

Date

Oct. 11

Opponent

vs. Celtics

Time

7 p.m.

Date

Oct. 16

Opponent

at Nets

Time

7:30 p.m.

Date

Oct. 20

Opponent

vs. Hawks

Time

7 p.m.

James Harden and Joel Embiid were ineffective, to say the least. Harden had nine points, seven assists, and six rebounds, and made just 3 of 11 shots, including 1 of 5 three-pointers. In the biggest game of the season, Harden, who turns 34 years old on Aug. 26, looked like the game had passed him by.

Embiid had 15 points on 5-for-18 shooting while missing all four of his three-point attempts. He led the Sixers with eight rebounds and two blocks. However, he spent most of the game on the perimeter. The MVP, who was playing with a sprained knee ligament, looked fatigued.

That loss led to the Sixers firing coach Doc Rivers with two seasons remaining on his contract. Rivers, who was replaced by Nick Nurse, is now an NBA analyst for ESPN.

Harden’s tenure with the team is also in jeopardy. The point guard is unhappy with the organization and has requested a trade to his hometown Los Angeles Clippers.

Training camp will begin on Oct. 3, with the Sixers likely training at a remote destination for the second consecutive year. The NBA season is set to begin on Oct. 24 and conclude on April 14, 2024.

The league’s inaugural in-season tournament will tip off Nov. 3 in team markets and culminate in Las Vegas in early December. The semifinals are scheduled for Dec. 7, and the championship game is set for two days later.