Tonight's preseason finale against Philadelphia closes a four-game slate before the record starts in Detroit on October 20, the first game that will count. Boston has had one day of rest since beating Charlotte 114-93; the 76ers, beaten 144-106 in the first meeting on October 10, have had five days and one game in the past week to Boston's two.
The real opener is four days away, not tonight.
Philadelphia already lost to this roster 144-106 on October 10, so little tonight changes either team's book. Tonight airs on NBA TV; the schedule's real swing game is October 20 at Detroit on NBC/Peacock, the first game of the actual record, followed by the Knicks on Prime Video on October 23 and the Bulls on October 26.
Boston is working on the shorter rest.
The Celtics played twice in the last seven days and arrive with a single day of rest since the last one, still inside their only road trip of the stretch. Philadelphia played once in that span and has had five days to prepare, with no back-to-back on either side. The rest math favors the home team tonight, for whatever that is worth in a preseason finale.
Devin Carter is the lone Celtic out.
Carter moved from not listed to day-to-day for rest on October 10, then to day-to-day for illness the same day; the injury report lists an expected return of October 16 — tonight. No other Boston player appears on the report, a cleaner sheet than the one Philadelphia is working from.
Philadelphia's list is long but short on specifics.
Ariel Hukporti is out with a right Achilles injury. Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, LeBron James, Anfernee Simons, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Adem Bona, Dominick Barlow and Tacko Fall all carry a day-to-day tag, most of them for rest rather than a named injury. That list filled in after the 38-point loss on October 10, not before it.
Is tonight's Celtics-76ers game part of the regular season?
No. It is the preseason finale for both teams; the regular season opens October 20 at Detroit.
Who is out for the Celtics against Philadelphia?
Devin Carter, listed day-to-day with an illness and an expected return of October 16, is the only name on Boston's report.
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