Carmelo Anthony: Celtics Host 76ers in Primetime After Historic Shooting Night
Carmelo Anthony appears in the headline as the spotlight settles on a Sunday night showdown in which the Boston Celtics will host the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden. The matchup matters now because Boston carried extraordinary shooting efficiency into the week while Philadelphia arrives dealing with the loss of its star center.
Celtics historic shooting night fuels confidence
Boston enters the primetime game riding a hot streak: the Celtics shot 66. 7 percent overall and 64. 7 percent from three in a recent blowout win over the Nets. That performance is part of a wider run in which the Celtics have won 10 of 12 games, and their season record stands at 39-20. The club’s recent form and shooting efficiency make Sunday’s home contest a test of whether that level of production can be maintained against a 76ers team that has found answers in its own recent stretch.
On the season Boston averages 115. 0 points per game with an opponent field-goal percentage of. 442. Their three-point accuracy is 36. 5 percent, while opponents connect at 36. 0 percent from deep. Baylor Scheierman is listed as questionable with a thumb issue, a roster uncertainty that could affect Boston’s rotation late in the game.
Joel Embiid MRI leads to 76ers absence and lineup change
Philadelphia will be without center Joel Embiid after an MRI on Saturday revealed he sustained a right oblique strain during the team’s win over the Miami Heat, the team said. The MRI finding directly produced the decision to rule Embiid out for Sunday, forcing Philadelphia to adjust its frontcourt minutes and interior defense on short notice.
The 76ers have responded well in recent games despite roster disruptions, winning three straight to snap a four-game losing skid that bridged the All-Star break. Philadelphia’s overall record is 33-26, and the team averages 116. 7 points per game while allowing 115. 9. Those numbers reflect a team that can still score at a high clip even as it copes with injuries.
Tyrese Maxey provided a notable individual milestone in Philadelphia’s most recent outing: he passed Allen Iverson to set the franchise record for made three-pointers, reaching 887. That accomplishment underscores the 76ers’ perimeter threat in Embiid’s absence and signals how they might seek to compensate for the missing interior presence.
Tip-off, context and what to watch at TD Garden
The game is set for an 8 p. m. tip at TD Garden and will be carried on national platforms NBC and Peacock. Betting and spread metrics entering the matchup show Boston and Philadelphia with differing cover records: Boston’s vs. spread sits at 34-25, while Philadelphia’s is listed at 32-26 with one push noted. Season over/under records differ as well, with Boston at 22-37 and Philadelphia at 31-27, indicating contrasting tendencies in how the teams’ games finish relative to total projections.
