The second leg of the potential NBA Eastern Conference Finals this season will play out in the city of brotherly love. Whoever wins this clash between the Philadelphia 76ers (10-5) and the Boston Celtics (8-5) will go on top of the table. The 76ers won the 1st battle 117-109 against the Celtics, who will be looking to avenge the loss.

Date & Time: January 22, 2021, 7:30 pm ET

Venue: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia

Preview | Philadelphia 76ers

Under coach Dov Rivers, they look like a team possessed. Bringing in Seth Curry from Mavericks looks like a masterstroke, with his son-in-law sorting out their 3-point issues. He is averaging a career-high 17 points a game while shooting a league-high 59.5% on 3-pointers.

But he’s been out since January 6 after contracting the COVID. And he could make his return as the 76ers have listed him as probable for the game, with ‘post health and safety protocols reconditioning’ being the reason.

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If Seth plays or not, the key player for them will remain Joel Embiid. After somewhat regressing last year, he’s going from strength to strength. On the offensive end, he is averaging 26.4 points per game while on the defensive end, his stat sheet shows 1.4 blocks and steals to go with 11.3 rebounds.

Possible Starting 5 for the Philadelphia 76ers

Guard – Ben Simmons

Guard – Seth Curry

Center – Joel Embiid

Forward – Danny Green

Forward – Tobias Harris

Preview | Boston Celtics

The big question mark for the Celtics was the availability of Jayson Tatum, after coach Brad Stevens said there was a 50-50 chance he would play. But looking at their official injury report, they have ruled him out for this fixture.

So, in his absence, Jaylen Brown will continue to lead the team as he has been effectively doing, while Daniel Theis would look to contain Joel Embiid and his flopping antics.

Possible Starting 5 for the Boston Celtics

Guard – Kemba Walker

Guard – Marcus Smart

Center – Tristan Thompson

Forward – Grant Williams

Forward – Jaylen Brown

Predictions | 76ers vs Celtics

Without the services of Jayson Tatum, the Celtics will start as the underdogs for this top-of-the-table clash. Though, again, it will be a tightly contested affair with two esteemed coaches calling the plays from the sidelines. One where the 76ers may come out unscathed.