The 76ers will be down a pair of rotation players as they face the Celtics at 7 p.m. Friday from Philadelphia. Paul George (left knee surgery) and Jared McCain (right thumb surgery) are both out for Friday’s contest as they have yet to play this season.
On the Celtics’ side, they will only be down Jayson Tatum, who continues to sit with his Achilles injury. That also means Jaylen Brown is good to go as he’s dealt with a hamstring strain to open the season.
Friday’s game is also the first NBA Cup game for both teams, so there are some extra stakes for both sides. The court will also look different for the game. The C’s and Sixers are in East Group B, along with the Pistons, Magic and Nets.
George and McCain have yet to see the court this season due to their respective surgeries. Both guys have returned to practice recently, though it’s unclear when they will make their season debuts.
In the meantime, the Sixers have gotten off to a 4-0 start led by Tyrese Maxey having a red-hot open to the year. The guard scored 40 points on the Celtics on opening night and has yet to cool down, averaging 37.5 points in his four games played this year. Rookie V.J. Edgecombe is also off to a great start, putting up 22.3 points per game.
The Sixers downed the Celtics 117-116 to open the season last week. The Sixers have won three straight games since then. The Celtics started the year 0-3 but have won their last two games, including in blowout fashion Wednesday against the Cavaliers.
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