Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia 76ers: preview and player stats

George (illness) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against Toronto, Taylor Snow of the Celtics' official site reports. George will sit out the second leg of this back-to-back set due to an illness, and his next opportunity to play will come Sunday against the Mavericks. With the veteran forward sidelined, Baylor Scheierman, Sam Hauser and Hugo Gonzalez are all candidates to see increased playing time.

Injury/Illness - Right Foot Plantar Fascia Injury Management (2026-11-12, TOR@PHI). Prior reporting (2026-11-11): Embiid (foot) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against Toronto, Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com reports. Embiid is at risk of missing his third game of the 2026-27 campaign. With Adem Bona (back) and Dominick Barlow (back) both sidelined, Philadelphia may turn to Jabari Walker to handle things at the five if Embiid doesn't suit up versus the Raptors.

Injury/Illness - Low Back/Sciatica Management (2026-11-12, TOR@PHI). Prior reporting (2026-11-11): James (back) is questionable for Thursday's game against the Raptors, Kyle Neubeck of AllPHLY.com reports. The 76ers are considering giving the future Hall of Famer the night of Thursday. Dean Wade and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would soak up more playing time in the frontcourt if James ends up sitting out.

Injury/Illness - Low Back Stress Reaction (2026-11-12, TOR@PHI). Prior reporting (2026-11-04): Head coach Nick Nurse said Wednesday that Barlow (back) likely needs another 10-12 days before he's cleared to return to the court, Derek Bodner of AllPHLY.com reports. Nurse added that the team is "pretty positive" that Barlow's back is getting better, though he's still going to have to wait some more time before being cleared. The big man has yet to make his season debut due to a lumbar spine bone stress response, and he isn't expected to return until mid-November at the earliest.

Injury/Illness - Cervical Spine Sprain (2026-11-12, TOR@PHI). Prior reporting (2026-11-11): Bona (back) is out for Thursday's game against the Raptors, Kyle Neubeck of AllPHLY.com reports. Bona is missing a fourth straight contest and can be considered week-to-week for the time being. Jabari Walker is playing steady minutes off the bench as the No. 2 center in Bona's stead.

Injury/Illness - Right Achilles Tendon Rupture / Tear (2026-11-12, TOR@PHI). Prior reporting (2026-10-06): Hukporti has sustained a season-ending ruptured right Achilles tendon, per Shams Charania of ESPN. Hukporti went down with an Achilles injury in Monday's preseason opener against the Knicks, and an MRI has since revealed a rupture. He signed a one-year deal with the 76ers over the summer, so Hukporti will be an unrestricted free agent come season's end. With Hukporti's year already finished, Adem Bona (foot) should assume the backup center role behind Joel Embiid once healthy. Previously reported out for season.