The Boston Celtics closed their preseason on Friday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, and the biggest question was not the score but who would be on the floor. Boston, unbeaten at 3-0 entering the game, was expected to rest its starters again in the final tune-up before the regular season, while the 76ers came in at 1-2 and facing another night of lineup management.
This was the Celtics' preseason Game #4 and Road Game #2, played at Xfinity Mobile Arena at 7:00 PM ET. It came three days after Boston beat Philadelphia 144-106 in Boston, a game in which Brown, Embiid and James all sat out. That earlier result gave the rematch a different feel: one side already had its rotations set, and the other was still sorting through who could actually make it to the finish line.
Joe Mazzulla had one more decision to make as the preseason ended, with the final 2-way spot and possibly an open roster spot still in play. Boston's first preseason game came with its starters on the bench against the Cavaliers, then the Celtics used their starters in their next two games against the 76ers and the Hornets. That made Friday less about proof of concept than about one last look at the pieces around the edges.
The 76ers arrived with a more complicated injury sheet. Dominick Barlow had missed the first 3 preseason games with a back injury and was listed as doubtful, Adem Bona had missed all 3 preseason games with a foot injury and was expected to miss the game, Ariel Hukporti was out after tearing his Achilles in the first preseason game, and Anfernee Simons was also expected to miss after a hamstring injury. Tacko Fall was listed as questionable with a hip injury.
Philadelphia also kept adjusting the bottom of the roster before tipoff, waiving Duke Miles and Saint Thomas and signing Cris Carroll and Taye Fields to Exhibit 10 contracts. The 76ers were expected to use their regular rotation in the finale, but this was still the sort of game where the lineup could shift as the night approached. Their first preseason game came with most starters resting except Brown against the Knicks, then they played all their starters against the Nets, and in their third game they sat most of the group again except Edgecombe and Maxey against the Celtics.
That is what gave this matchup its edge. The 76ers were expected to start Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown, James and Embiid, but the same team was also still open to experimenting in its final preseason game. Boston was trying to finish the preseason without adding miles to its starters. Philadelphia was trying to decide how much of its final look should be a rehearsal and how much should be a test. The next step is not another exhibition, but the roster decisions and regular-season plans that follow from what both teams chose to show on Friday.
