The NBA injury gods are cruel, and they don't take any time off. The Philadelphia 76ers can provide a clear example of that, as they already have multiple players dealing with health issues during preseason play.
According to ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin, Sixers guard Anfernee Simons, centers Adem Bona and Tacko Fall, and forward Dominick Barlow are all expected to miss Philly's next two preseason games, including a Saturday night matchup with the rival Boston Celtics. First-year Sixers center Ariel Hukporti is also on the injury report after tearing his right Achilles tendon early in a 120-97 win over the New York Knicks on Monday evening.
At the moment, the Celtics are at full strength. Unlike many other teams, they haven't participated in a preseason
contest yet. That changes on Thursday night when they face the Cleveland Cavaliers in Ohio. Celtics-Sixers should be a much more interesting showdown, though.
Boston traded five-time All-Star Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia this offseason and there's a chance the former Celtics guard suits up against his old team on Saturday at TD Garden. He was on the court for almost 17 minutes versus the Knicks and dropped a whopping 22 points in that short span. But since the Sixers were recently devastated by Hukporti's sudden, season-ending injury, perhaps they'll take it easy on Saturday and have Brown sit.
Regardless of preseason lineup decisions, the Celtics and 76ers will meet for the first time during the 2026-27 regular season on Tuesday, November 10, in South Philadelphia.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Sixers already down several big men for preseason showdown with Celtics
