Sixers Come to the Garden, and Pritchard Is Cleared

0:04The host: Two hours from now the Sixers walk into the Garden, and this is the one where it's weird to say 'preseason' out loud.

0:10The analyst: Because Philadelphia ended Boston's season in April. Blew a 3-1 lead, lost in the first round to this exact roster.

0:18The host: Different roster now, though. Jaylen Brown's not walking out of that tunnel tonight. He's in green for Philly's locker room, not ours.

0:26The analyst: Right, Brown for George and four picks, two first-rounders in it. That's the whole subplot before the ball's even up.

0:33The host: And it's not cheap either. We're carrying $203.9 million against a $200.4 million tax line because of it.

0:43The analyst: Tatum's $58.5 million, George's $54.1 million. Those two contracts alone are more than half the payroll.

0:52The host: But George isn't playing tonight anyway. Rest, day-to-day, same as six other guys on our side.

0:58The analyst: Tatum, White, Hauser, Robinson, Queta, Harper Jr. — all day-to-day, rest or undisclosed. This is a scrimmage with the wrong jerseys on.

1:08The host: Pritchard's not on that list anymore, though. Cleared today, after being day-to-day as of two nights ago.

1:15The analyst: That's the one actual injury-report move since Thursday. Pritchard plays tonight. Write it down.

1:21The host: So who do the Sixers even have? Embiid's out there too, right?

1:26The analyst: No, Embiid only played 38 games last season. If he's not on their active injury list tonight, that's rest too, same as ours.

1:34The host: And Simons is day-to-day for them. Hukporti's out completely, Achilles. Bona's day-to-day on the foot.

1:42The analyst: So it's Maxey and Edgecombe carrying whatever Philadelphia dresses. Maxey put up 28.3 points a game last season. That's a real problem if he plays full minutes tonight.

1:52The host: VJ Edgecombe too — 16.0 points, 5.6 boards as a rookie last year. Those two decide this one regardless of who else sits.

2:02The analyst: The matchup that decides it is simple: whoever Mazzulla trots out at the two guard spots has to keep Maxey off the rim in transition. Philadelphia's pace last season was 100.4, fastest gear in the East.

2:15The host: Number of the day?

2:17The analyst: Plus-17.9. That's the net rating for Brown-White-Queta-Pritchard-Hauser over 35 games and 200 minutes. Best five-man unit we've got on paper.

2:27The host: But three of those five — White, Queta, Hauser — aren't suiting up tonight.

2:32The analyst: Which is exactly the point. The number proves what works when everyone's healthy. It proves nothing about what Mazzulla rolls out in the preseason at the Garden with half the group resting.

2:43The host: Two nights ago in Cleveland, Boston won 124-113. Garza had 22 and 10, Carter had 17 off the bench.

2:54The analyst: One rest day since, no back-to-back, and tonight's the second half of that same scheduling swing. Philadelphia's on the road for a second straight game and played twice in the last seven days.

3:05The host: So their legs might be heavier than ours walking in.

3:08The analyst: Might be. It's one data point on a 0-0 season for both teams. Don't hang the night on it.

3:14The host: Tip-off's two hours out, NBA TV has it, right here at the Garden.

3:19The analyst: And it's not the last we see of Philadelphia. Hornets come in Thursday, then it's at the Sixers on the 16th, also NBA TV, before the opener at Detroit on the 20th.

3:30The host: So tonight's really a preview for the rematch six days later.

3:34The analyst: Brian Robb had Boston in an Atlantic Notes roundup yesterday grouped with the Sixers, Raptors and Barrett. No specifics reported beyond the names, so there's nothing there yet.

3:45The host: We said two nights ago that this was the one to watch for — Philadelphia, at home, two days out. Here we are, and it's mostly backups.

3:53The analyst: The games still count for something, even resting half the roster. Garza and Carter get another look with the ball in their hands.

4:01The host: Watch Pritchard's workload tonight since he's the one real swing off that injury report, and watch whether Garza keeps producing against Philadelphia's reserves.

4:10The analyst: Full coverage all night on the Celtics section of Hoops Nightly.