Final: Celtics 123, Sixers 105 - Tatum drops a casual 35 in easy win

BOSTON CELTICS (44-18) vs. PHILADELPHIA 76ers (21-40)

TD Garden, 7:30 p.m. - TNT

Line: Celtics 13.5

INJURIES

Boston: Jaylen Brown (OUT, knee), Kristaps Porzingis (OUT, illness), Jrue Holiday (OUT, finger), Al Horford (OUT, toe), Sam Hauser (OUT, ankle)

Philadelphia: Tyrese Maxey (OUT, back), Paul George (OUT, groin), Joel Embiid (OUT, knee), Eric Gordon (OUT, wrist), Kyle Lowry (OUT, hip), Jared McCain (OUT, knee)

THINGS I’M LOOKING FOR

1. Jayson Tatum going off? Imagine the Delaware Blue Coats warming up in Portland to face the Maine Celtics and Tatum walks out of the back into the layup line. That might be how tonight goes for the Sixers. Though I expect Philly to sell out to stop Tatum, so this could be a big assist night for him. I’d love to see a few give-and-go’s to combat Philly’s aggression.

2. An encore? Payton Pritchard and Derrick White put on a hell of a show last night. The crowd tonight is going want to experience that a little bit themselves. The crowd will go nuts if one of their first shots goes in, so I say lean into that. Run some actions to get these guys some good looks from deep and let’s keep this party going. 

3. Who steps up? There is a TON of opportunity in this game with five rotation players out. Could this be a game where Torrey Craig earned more of Joe Mazzulla’s trust? Does Miles Norris get a chance to knock down some shots? Is there an unexpected name who will shine in these minutes?

Follow along with my thoughts as the game goes on. They’ll show up below and in the comments section, so hop in and share your opinion as well.