The Boston Celtics (3-6, 1-2 away) visit the Philadelphia 76ers (0-10, 0-4 home) on Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center (CSN, 7 p.m.) Here's what to watch for:
• Everyone needs a win: The Celtics are eager for a win after letting a couple close ones get away, but can't look past a winless division rival. "[The 76ers are] looking for that first one," said center Kelly Olynyk. "They don’t want to make any records the wrong way. They’re definitely looking to turn their stuff around. And we definitely need to get one under our belts, so it’s going to be a battle and a scrap and we gotta go in there hungry and ready to play." Even amidst their tanking/struggles, the 76ers beat Boston the final two meetings of last season.
• Philly in focus: The 76ers rank dead last in offensive rating while averaging a measly 88.3 points per 100 possessions, not a good look for a team with the second highest pace in the league. Their defense hasn't been awful with a rating of 104 (17th overall). But Philly is the worst rebounding team in the league and 28th in turnover percentage. It's not a surprise to see them winless given their play thus far.
• Coach's take: Despite Philly's struggles, coach Brad Stevens killed them with kindness. "For the first time now, they’re getting healthy," said Stevens. "They are big and long. I think they’ve put a real premium and priority on length and athleticism. So, Tony Wroten’s had a good start to his year; Michael Carter-Williams is now back and healthy. I think the bigs have all progressed well. [Nerlens] Noel did a lot of good things in the last few films I’ve watched. Hey, Philly has given us problems with how hard they play, how long they are, and I think they are hungry. We have to be hungry. It’s a big game for us, as is everyone, but because it’s next and because we’ve lost a couple in a row now, this is a big big deal for us."
