The Philadelphia 76ers just faced the Boston Celtics, their arch rivals, for the fourth and last time. But with Joel Embiid out of commission due to a strained oblique, the former did not stand a chance against the East’s second-best team. Yet despite both teams not having another regular season matchup, the Celtics are poised to stand in the 76ers’ way anew with this sudden development.
Longtime NBA analyst Bill Simmons recently inferred that Jayson Tatum is posed to make his return for Boston in their upcoming games against the Mavericks. Now, with the Celtics still having a wildly successful season without their second-best player (get off your Tatum vs Jaylen Brown debate elsewhere), they might just have what it takes to reclaim the East definitively.