The 76ers get their first crack at the Celtics Friday night in Boston. The defending NBA champions are off to a 14-2 start, which features an 8-1 home record.
For the 7-8 Sixers, it's a chance to see if they can get their fast-break offense going the way they did in the second half of Wednesday's 96-94 home loss to the Magic. If not, how will they fare in the half-court sets against one of the league's best defensive teams? The Sixers will need to move the ball better and have better player movement if they are to avoid bogging down. At the other end, the Sixers will have to handle a team with a lot of offensive weapons and one that runs the pick-and-roll well. The Sixers have struggled against teams that excel at the pick-and-roll and some that don't, including the Bobcats.
"They're definitely a good team," said Thaddeus Young. "They have some great 'bigs' on their team and some great shooters, just like Orlando. They've got Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Eddie House, so we've definitely got to try to contain them at the three-point line."
Guard Willie Green said the Sixers are determined to bounce back from Wednesday's tough loss.
"It's another test for us," Green said. "We're going to be anxious to get one at their house in front of a hostile crowd. Once again, it's going to come down to execution."
MAGIC 96, SIXERS 94: The Sixers nearly overcame a 12-point deficit to beat a good team, only to lose on a baseline three-pointer by Rashard Lewis. Elton Brand scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half to give the Sixers a chance in the nationally-televised game, only for Thaddeus Young to leave Lewis to help on a driving Hedo Turkoglu, who kicked it to Lewis in the corner for the game-winner. The Sixers limited the Magic to .346 shooting (9-for-26) beyond the arc, but went just 3-of-13 (.231) themselves.
