Celtics at 76ers
In their quest to reach the top of the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia 76ers plucked a key player away from one of their chief rivals. Center Al Horford will make his debut for the Sixers when they host his former team, the Boston Celtics, in the season opener for both squads Wednesday night.
"Obviously, I came to this team and there are the [championship] aspirations here," the five-time All-Star, who signed with Philadelphia this offseason, told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "It is where I feel I have a great opportunity to accomplish that. That is the reason I am here, trying to help bring the organization a championship to the city." After spending three seasons in Boston, Horford will be a big part of a tall, skilled lineup that is led once again by fellow big man Joel Embiid and standout point guard Ben Simmons. The Celtics were favorites to win the East a year ago but struggled to find the right chemistry in a 49-win campaign. They welcome point guard Kemba Walker to the fold and hope for a big season out of former All-Star Gordon Hayward, who endured an up-and-down 2018-19 after losing nearly all of the previous season with a leg injury.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, NBC Sports Boston, NBC Sports Philadelphia
ABOUT THE CELTICS (2018-19: 49-33): Forward Jayson Tatum is the top returning scorer at 15.7 points per game, although Walker averaged a career-high 25.6 with Charlotte last season and is seen as a welcome addition following the tumultuous stint of point guard Kyrie Irving, who signed with Brooklyn. Walker sought a winning environment after eight seasons mostly under .500 with Charlotte, and he was pleased to see Boston signal its intent to win now with this week's $115 million extension for swingman Jaylen Brown. "I know what these guys are all about, man, and this organization, they want to win," Walker told The Athletic on Monday. "You have to invest in the players, and Jaylen, he deserves it. I'm super, super happy for him."
ABOUT THE 76ERS (2018-19: 51-31): Embiid ranked fourth in the NBA in scoring (27.5), second in rebounding (13.6) and sixth in blocks (1.9) while playing a career-high 64 games last season. He'll anchor the mammoth front line with Horford and 6-9 Tobias Harris, who averaged a career-high 20 points in 2018-19. The 6-10 Simmons was one of three players in the league to record at least 10 triple-doubles and he has hinted at an improved outside shot, perhaps the only feature missing from his game after he went 0-for-17 from beyond the arc through his first two seasons.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Sixers SG Josh Richardson replaces SG J.J. Redick - who signed with New Orleans - after averaging a career-high 16.6 points with Miami last season.
2. Embiid averaged 29.3 points and 15.5 rebounds in four matchups with the Celtics in 2018-19.
3. Hayward shot 55.1 percent from the floor following the All-Star break after shooting 43.8 percent before it.