Sixers, Celtics to play regular-season game in London

Marc Lancaster

Sixers, Celtics to play regular-season game in London image

The Phialdelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics are headed to London.

MORE: Report: Ben Simmons, Sixers to play Knicks at MSG on Christmas Day |

Philadelphia will face Boston in a regular-season game at the O2 Arena on January 11, the NBA announced on Thursday.

The matchup will allow UK fans to get an up-close look at one of the NBA's most exciting young teams in the Sixers — featuring Australia's Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and Markelle Fultz — and a Boston squad led by Isaiah Thomas that finished the 2016-17 regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference.

It will be the second game in England for each team, but both previous trips came during the preseason.

This will be the eighth NBA regular-season game in London overall.

"I am delighted the NBA continues to bring the world's best basketball to our great city in what has now become a well-established and eagerly anticipated event on London's sporting calendar," London Mayor Shadiq Khan said in a release.

"I know Londoners will be thrilled to see the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics up close at our world-famous O2.

"I am determined to make sure London remains the sporting capital of the world, and a key part of that is bringing major sports events here."

 

Marc Lancaster

Marc Lancaster Photo

Marc Lancaster joined The Sporting News in 2022 after working closely with TSN for five years as an editor for the company now known as Stats Perform. He previously worked as an editor at The Washington Times, AOL’s FanHouse.com and the old CNNSportsIllustrated.com, and as a beat writer covering the Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds, and University of Georgia football and women’s basketball. A Georgia graduate, he has been a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2013.