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Getty Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid
While the 2018-19 NBA season is on the verge of wrapping up, it appears details for next year are beginning to emerge. As the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors gear up for Game 6 of the NBA Finals, a small piece of the 2019-20 NBA schedule has come to light. But it’s an interesting one which will surely make Philadelphia 76ers fans happy.
According to Jon Johnson of Sports Radio WIP, the Sixers will be featured once again on the Christmas Day slate next season. But this time, they’ll be hosting a home game.
This is exciting news, but not overly surprising as the Sixers have emerged as one of the most intriguing teams in the NBA. Behind the likes of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, along with the potential re-signing of Jimmy Butler and/or Tobias Harris, there’ll be plenty of storylines in Philly next season.
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Sixers’ Previous Recent Christmas Day Matchups
While it won’t be revealed in the immediate future who the Sixers could face on Christmas Day, the Boston Celtics are always a popular choice. The two teams not only met on opening night of the 2018-19 season, a game which the Celtics won 105-87, but they also squared off in Boston on Christmas last year.
Philly fell to Brad Stevens’ squad in a tough overtime game on the holiday in 2018 by a score of 121-114. Both games came prior to the team acquiring Harris via trade from the Los Angeles Clippers. During the Christmas loss just months ago, Joel Embiid posted a strong stat line of 34 points with 16 rebounds and two blocks while Jimmy Butler tacked on 24 points and Ben Simmons had a near-triple-double.
During the 2017-18 season, the Sixers were also featured on the nationally-televised slate of Christmas games but again went on the road to play. That game was at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks, and they went on to win 105-98 behind Embiid’s 25 points and 16 rebounds along with JJ Redick’s 24 points.
76ers Face Question Marks in 2019 Offseason
The Sixers are coming off a season in which they posted a 51-31 regular-season mark and earned the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. If not for one huge bounce on a Kawhi Leonard game-winner during Philly’s second-round matchup with the Toronto Raptors, their season may still be going on.
Regardless, the Sixers now enter the offseason with multiple question marks. Whether Butler and/or Harris will be on the team next year are the two biggest talking points, but Redick’s future is also up in the air. While Embiid and Simmons will continue to be centerpieces of the franchise, it’s likely that keeping last year’s core together could be a focus for the front office.
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Sixers to Play Christmas Day Game at Home in 2019-20 [Report]