Boston Celtics (3-0) at Philadelphia 76ers (1-2)
Friday, October 16, 2026
7:00 PM ET
Preseason Game #4 Road Game #2
TV: NBA-TV
Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub, Sirius XM
Xfinity Mobile Arena
The Celtics come to the end of their preseason slate as they travel to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers for the second time in this preseason. These 2 teams played in Boston on Wednesday when the Celtics won 144-106. In that game Brown, Embiid, and James all sat out the game while the Celtics played all their starters
and the Celtics dominated.
The 76ers made one of the biggest moves of the off season, trading Paul George to the Celtics to get Jaylen Brown. They also signed LeBron James, Dean Wade, Ariel Hukporti and Anfernee Simons as free agents. They drafted Labaron Philon, Jr with the 22nd pick in the draft. Along with Paul George, they lost Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre, Jr and Andre Drummond.
The Celtics rested their starters in the first game against the Cavaliers and then played them in the second and third games against the 76ers and the Hornets. I expect that the Celtics will once again rest their starters in this game. The 76ers rested their starters except Brown in their first game against the Knicks, which they won. They played all their starters against the Nets and lost. They sat most of their starters, except Edgecombe and Maxey against the Celtics and lost. I expect them to play their regular rotation in this game.
The Celtics have just one player on the injured list for this game. After a big game against the Cavs, he missed the past 2 games due to an illness. He is listed as a game time decision for this game due to an illness. After the first game, he was considered to be the frontrunner to win the open 2-way spot and hopefully we will get to see him play in this game. I expect the top 6 or 7 players to be added to the injury report for rest.
For the 76ers, Dominick Barlow missed the first 3 games with a back injury and is listed as doubtful for this game. Adem Bona missed all 3 preseason games so far with a foot injury and is expected to miss this game as well. Ariel Hukporti tore his Achilles in their first preseason game and is out for this game. Anfernee Simons missed the first 3 preseason games with a hamstring injury but has returned to practice. He is expected to miss this game, however. Tacko Fall is listed as questionable with a hip injury.
I’m expecting the Celtics starters to sit out this game. I really don’t know who will start but I expect to see some of the Exhibit 10 guys as Joe Mazzulla makes his decision for the final 2 way spot and possibly the open roster spot as well. The Celtics started Conley, Scheierman, Walsh, Gonzalez and Garza in the first game but I’m thinking he goes with a different lineup in this game. I expect the 76ers to start Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown, James and Embiid, but they also may experiment with another lineup for their final preseason game.
Prior to this game, the 76ers made a few small changes to their roster. They waived Duke Miles and Saint Thomas, who were on Exhibit 10 contracts. After waiving those two players, they signed Cris Carroll and Taye Fields to Exhibit 10 contracts, which will then give them a chance to later join the team’s NBA G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. But first, they have a shot at playing some late preseason minutes in the finale.
The preseason isn’t just a time to experiment with the players. It’s also a time to experiment with coaches. In the first game against the Cavaliers, Joe Mazzulla turned the coaching reigns over to two of his assistants. Tony Dobbins handled the lead coaching responsibilities for the first half, and DJ MacLeay took over for the second half. Against the Hornets, Mike Conley took over some of the coaching responsibilities, notably the substitutions. Sam Cassell is expected to handle the head coaching duties for this game.
Boston Celtics Roster
Chris Cenac, Jr
Mike Conley
Luka Garza
Paul George
Hugo Gonzalez
Ron Harper, Jr
Sam Hauser
Payton Pritchard
Neemias Queta
Mitchell Robinson
Baylor Scheierman
Jayson Tatum
Jordan Walsh
Derrick White
2-Way Players
Dillon Mitchell
Amari Williams
Exhibit 10 Players
Devin Carter
Tucker DeVries
Hayden Gray
Gabe MccGlothan
Milos Uzan
Injuries
Devin Carter (illness) game time decision
Players to Watch
Devin Carter and Milos Uzan
Which player will impress enough to win the final 2-way spot?
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Philadelphia 76ers Roster
Jaylen Brown
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
VJ Edgecombe
Justin Edwards
Joel Embiid
LeBron James
Tyrese Maxey
Labaron Philon, Jr
Dean Wade
Jabari Walker
2-Way Players
Caleb Love
Rayan Rupert
Exhibit 10 Players
Tacko Fall
Dillon Jones
Jameer Nelson, Jr
Cris Carroll
Taye Fields
Injuries
Tacko Fall (hip) game time decision
Dominick Barlow (back) doubtful
Adem Bona (foot) out
Ariel Hukporti (Achilles) out
Anfernee Simons (hamstring) out
Players to Watch
Jaylen Brown and LeBron James
How will these 2 alpha players mesh and fit together?
Head Coach
Nick Nurse
What to Watch
Exhibit 10 Guys – This will be the last opportunity for Devin Carter, Tucker DeVries, Hayden Gray, Gabe McGlothan, and Milos Uzan to make an impression and to make their case for the final open 2 Way spot. So far, Devin Carter has played the best of the 5 but he also missed the last 2 games and is questionable for this game. Milos Uzan has also made a good impression with his play. Gray, DeVries, and McGlothan all had moments but I believe they are behind both Carter and Uzan for that final spot.
Offensive Rebounding – The Celtics dominated the boards on Thursday against the Cavaliers. They had 21 offensive rebounds to just 6 for the Cavs. The Celtics beat the 76ers 19-7 on the offensive boards. They had 9 offensive rebounds to 7 for the Hornets. The Celtics need to dominate the offensive glass in this game also.
Defense – Defense is the key to winning each and every game. In the 3 games so far, the Celtics have shown that they are making the effort to dominate on the defensive end of the court. If that effort continues, the Celtics could very well have the best defense in the league. Hopefully we will see them to continue to make defense a priority.
Depth – If the Celtics do sit their starters for this game, they will need their depth to shine once again. In the first game, with the Celtics sitting their starters and the Cavs playing theirs, the Celtics reserves won the game. In all 3 games so far, the Celtics have gotten strong play from their reserves and hopefully, that will continue in this game.
X-Factors
It’s the Preseason – The preseason is a time for the coaches to get a look at players who may or may not make the team, to experiment with lineups and different plays. Wins and losses are not as important as learning things about the players and the team. We certainly won’t see the regular rotation for the Celtics and that’s ok.
On the Road – The Celtics will close out their preseason on the road. Many times, young players struggle more on the road than they do at home. The Celtics young players did just fine in Cleveland and hopefully they can play as well in Philly. The 76ers will have the crowd behind them and we know that Brown will be extra motivated to impress his home fans.
