With the Philadelphia 76ers struggling to maintain their position as the Eastern Conference’s sixth seed, they are on pace to participate in the NBA Play-In Tournament.
If the Sixers make the playoffs as the seventh seed, they’ll pick up a first-round series against the Boston Celtics.
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons has been paying close attention to the Sixers, as his favorite team could end up in a clash with them.
For a moment, Simmons admittedly saw the Sixers as a real threat to Boston in the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
âAs a Celtic fan, Iâm watching this going, 2-7, I do feel like the Celtics have owned Philly over the years, but I also kind of donât want to see the rejuvenated Paul George,” Simmons said on his podcast this week.
“Embiid just being healthy for four weeks, but two of the weeks that are against Boston, some of the young likes they have. They have a good coach. This 7-8-9-10 this year in both conferences [are threats].â
The Sixers Take A Massive Hit
GettyINGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 02: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers on the court against the LA Clippers in the second half at Intuit Dome on February 02, 2026 in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
All was going well for Philadelphia. After the star center, Joel Embiid, recovered from an oblique strain, which required a month off, he was getting back into a groove.
Then, the next setback happened. Embiid was diagnosed with appendicitis ahead of the Sixers’ Thursday night battle against the Houston Rockets. His regular season is over, and he’s in danger of missing the first round of the NBA Playoffs if the Sixers make it.
âThis guy, the injuries, itâs just become one of the most star-crossed stars weâve ever had,” Simmons stated. “This is like entering Bill Walton kind of territory of one of the great players who just never got to where he could get to.â
The Sixers were hoping to get a healthy postseason run out of Embiid for the first time in years. Another blow to those chances certainly changes the expectations for Philadelphia heading into tournament week.
Sixers-Celtics History
GettyBOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 22: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers talks to Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics after the game at TD Garden on October 22, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
In the history of the rivalry, the Celtics have won 75 more games over the Sixers.
The 2025-2026 NBA season was the first time the Sixers and the Celtics split the regular-season series since the 2021-2022 run.
Since the start of the Joel Embiid era, the Sixers have faced the Celtics three times in the playoffs. Each series resulted in a Boston win.
If the Sixers and the Celtics meet again in the postseason, anything can happen. However, the absence of Embiid would certainly give superfans such as Simmons more confidence in the Celtics, as the Sixers are of two different calibers with and without Embiid.
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