Celtics Will Reportedly Play 76ers On Christmas Day
BOSTON (CBS) -- Get ready for another Christmas Day with the Celtics.
Part of the 2018-19 NBA schedule will be released Wednesday afternoon, but we already know that the Celtics will take on the Philadelphia 76ers on Christmas Day thanks to Marc Stein of the New York Times. This is the third straight season the C's will be part of the NBA's Christmas Day bonanza, and the second straight season it will feature a rematch of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Celtics lost to the Washington Wizards in Boston on Christmas Day last season, so hopefully things go better this time around. Boston will once again be home for the holiday (via ESPN), so 76ers point guard Ben Simmons should prepare himself to celebrate Christmas with a lot of "Shoot a three, you coward!" coming from the stands. The game is set to start at 5:30pm, giving fans plenty of time to enjoy some eggnog before tipoff.
Chances are this won't be the first time the two rivals meet in the regular season, either. There are rumors that the NBA's opening night slate will feature a Boston and Philly matchup, though we won't know for sure until Wednesday at 2pm.
The Celtics eliminated the 76ers in five games last postseason, and the two teams are expected to battle for the top spot in the Eastern Conference (along with the Toronto Raptors) now that LeBron James is in Los Angeles. LeBron and his Lakers are also part of the Christmas Day fun, taking on the defending champion Golden State Warriors in prime time.
