The NBA will once again bring its players closer to fans in London, as the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers are scheduled to play a regular season in the U.K. in January.
According to a piece made by Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, the teams will meet on January 11th at the O2 Arena in downtown London. This is the third time the city will host an NBA game, following the Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves matchup back in 2007 and the Denver Nuggets-Indiana Pacers matchup in January 2017.
Article Continues Below“According to involved sources, the Celts will meet the 76ers in London next January. The schedule for the coming season is expected to be released next month, with the league’s Global Games potentially being announced prior to that.”
“The Celtics-Philadelphia matchup will be a regular season affair — not an exhibition — and will be a 76ers home game. That means Philly fans will have one fewer opportunity to see Jayson Tatum and Markelle Fultz, the third and first overall picks from last month’s draft, respectively, involved in the major pre-draft trade between the clubs.”
This is definitely an exciting prospect for the NBA fans in London, as they will get the chance to see not just Tatum and Fultz, but also two teams expected by many to be solid heading into the playoffs. The C’s have been contenders the past two seasons and with Gordon Hayward in their fold now, they are geared to challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers once again, and this time will look to complete their quest in dethroning them in the Eastern Conference.
The Sixers on the other hand, have vastly improved their lineup this summer with the addition of the consensus top pick, J.J. Redick and Amir Johnson. If Ben Simmons will be able to make his debut this coming season, they will be at full strength, which will be bad news for the rest of the competition, as they can pose a big threat to the other teams in league.
Like in 2007, the league is expecting the arena to be sold out once again, especially with the level of talent both teams have. They are also going to give their all and go for the win as it is not an exhibition game. London is just one of the cities the league office is looking to have some teams play in, as they continue to make popularity of the NBA grow, and have more fans engaged in it.