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The new-look Philadelphia 76ers went all in at the trade deadline, and so far the results have been better than expected.
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The following article courtesy of Bookmaker
The acquisition of Tobias Harris gives Philly a starting five that rivals any in the NBA, including the defending champion Warriors. The group was on display Sunday in a crushing 143-120 victory over the Lakers, combining to score 103 points. The Boston Celtics couldn’t hold on to big leads against the Lakers and Clippers and now must contend with a Sixers team that is now a serious contender to win the East.
Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers
Date and Time: Tuesday, February 12, 2019, 8 p.m. ET
Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Opening NBA Odds: 76ers -6.5, O/U 226.5
Celtics at 76ers TV Coverage: TNT
Odds Analysis
The Celtics are in a bit of funk, and that’s not a good place to be in when taking on the Sixers in Philly. It looked like Boston had found its form with the defensive intensity returning and timely scoring up and down the roster that led to a stretch of 10 wins in 11 games. The only loss during that span was a four-point setback to the Warriors, which is permissible. However, that all changed in the span of two games and the Celtics are looking to stop the bleeding.
Consecutive home losses to the Lakers and Clippers have the Celtics doubting themselves and Marcus Morris said the team isn’t having fun after losing a 28-point lead to the Clips. Don’t worry, though, all is not lost. The Celtics are firmly entrenched in a playoff spot and this team knows what it takes during the postseason after consecutive runs to the East final.
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The Sixers are now the team to beat in the East after revamping their roster and adding another scorer to their starting lineup. They beat Denver in the first game since the deadline with all five starters scoring in double figure. They tallied 143 points taking down the Lakers on Sunday and are 2-0 ATS since tossing Harris into the mix. Philly was a top team in the East before the trades due to its play at home. The Sixers have the most home wins in the Association and they are 16-13 ATS at Wells Fargo Center.
Celtics
Consecutive home losses against the L.A. teams where the Celtics blew double-digit leads in both games were upsetting to Brad Stevens and the Boston faithful, who booed the team off the floor after squandering a 28-point advantage to the Clips. The Celtics had allowed more than 120 points just once in their previous 20 games, but they allowed the LA teams to exceed that amount while giving up an average of 126 in the two contests.
Stuff like that doesn’t happen to the Celtics, especially on the parquet floor. Rajon Rondo hit a buzzer beater as the Lakers came back from 18 down to get the victory. Those things happen over the course of a long season. Blowing a 28-point lead to the Clips shouldn’t happen. The downfall in that game coincided with the loss of Kyrie Irving, who departed in the second quarter with a knee injury. He will not play on Tuesday, making Boston’s task of ending its losing streak even more difficult.
76ers
Baseball season is still a few weeks away, but to use an analogy, Elton Brand swung for the fences and hit a home run. Things are great right now. The addition of Harris has given the Sixers another wing scorer and added flexibility. He can play off the ball and spread defenses, allowing Joel Embiid to attack down low. J.J. Redick supplies the perimeter game and Ben Simmons directs everything. It’s a complete starting five. With little time to get acclimated to his new surroundings, Harris joined the group and dropped 14 in a win over the Nuggets. All five starters scored in double figures with Redick tossing in 34 by making 6 of 7 three-pointers.
The next time out it was Embiid doing the damage, scoring 37 points in a 23-point win over the Lakers. Four of the five starters scored in double figures with Harris adding 22 and Redick 21. Simmons tallied eight points, but chipped in with seven assists. And we saw the Sixers play a selfless game against LA with every starter dishing out at least three assists. Everything is good when you win, how this group responds in difficult times will tell us a lot more.
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Bet Celtics at 76ers at BookMaker.eu
The situation looks bleak for Boston. Going against a team full of confidence without their top player is dire, but Boston has talent to overcome the loss of Irving. We can look back at last season’s playoff run for evidence of that. While most might predict a blowout for Philly, I’m sticking with Boston to hang close. The Sixers have a potent starting five, but Boston’s depth will keep them around long enough to cover the spread on the NBA betting line at BookMaker.eu.
NBA Score Prediction: Sixers 113, Celtics 109
