Preview: Sixers host Celtics tonight as Jaylen Brown faces Boston for the first time

The Sixers host the Boston Celtics tonight at Xfinity Mobile Arena in a matchup of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference. Tip is at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, NBC Sports Philadelphia and Peacock.

Philadelphia is 9-2 and a half-game ahead of Boston, which is 8-2 and has won three straight. The 76ers are coming off a 2-1 road trip through the Central Division, and they get the home floor for this one.

Sixers Forward Jaylen Brown Faces Tatum and the Celtics

Jaylen Brown when asked if he'll talk to Jayson Tatum when the Sixers host the Celtics on Tuesday:

"There's nothing to talk about. Check the ball up."

(via @ChristopherHine)pic.twitter.com/ftuwlULeWA

— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) November 8, 2026

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Brown spent 10 seasons in Boston, made five All-Star teams and won Finals MVP in the 2024 championship run. The Celtics traded him to the 76ers in July for Paul George. The preseason meetings did not count. This one does.

Brown said he has not talked to Jayson Tatum and does not plan to. “There’s nothing to talk about.” Earlier this season, Tatum described his shock over the trade in a self-produced mini-documentary, and Brown commented on a clip implying Tatum was not being truthful. Brown later said there was no beef, but “lamb chops and some gravy.”

Brown is averaging 22.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 47.7% from the field and 39.2% from three. He scored 29 in Sunday’s win at Chicago. George also plays his first game in Philadelphia since the trade. He spent two seasons with the Sixers.

The Sixers Starting Five Is Healthy

The 76ers will have Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Brown, LeBron James and Joel Embiid together for the ninth time in 12 games this season. Adem Bona (cervical spine sprain) and Dominick Barlow (back) are out. Boston has no injuries to report.

Maxey is averaging 26.9 points. Embiid is at 17.9 points and 9.7 rebounds and has stayed healthy so far. Against the Bulls, all five Sixers starters scored in double figures. Brown had 29, Maxey 27, and Embiid 18 points with 10 rebounds. The 76ers also grabbed 20 offensive rebounds and scored 33 second-chance points.

Boston’s projected starters are Mike Conley, Derrick White, George, Tatum and Neemias Queta. Tatum is averaging 27.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 7.8 assists.

What Decides the Game for the Sixers

Tatum is the first problem the Sixers have to solve. His shot selection and his passing both hurt a defense that gets sloppy. Embiid has to protect the rim without picking up cheap fouls.

The Sixers have more ways to score. Maxey, Brown, James and Embiid can each carry the offense on a given night, and Boston cannot match that depth at the top. If the Sixers control the glass the way they did in Chicago, Boston’s margin for error disappears. The Sixers also rank fourth in opponent three-point percentage.

Prediction: Sixers 111, Celtics 108.