It’s entirely possible that the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers are the best teams in the Eastern Conference. But don’t call it a rivalry around Philly star Joel Embiid.
The Celtics blew out the 76ers 105-87 on Tuesday. After the game, Embiid made it clear that his team hasn’t done enough to be called Boston’s rival.
Joel Embiid on the "rivalry" between the Celtics and Sixers: "This is not a rivalry. I don't know our record against them, but it's pretty bad. They always kick our ass."
— Sean Deveney (@SeanDeveney) October 17, 2018
It’s hard to dispute Embiid here. At least right now.
The Celtics won three out of four regular season matchups against the 76ers a season ago. When the teams met in the second round of the playoffs, Boston moved on in only five games. Rivalries are usually a little more even than 7-2.
The good news for Embiid is that Philadelphia will have some chances to even things up during the season. The 76ers and Celtics will play three more times during the regular season. The next meeting between the two will be in Boston on Christmas Day.