NBA London Game 2018 - 76ers vs. Celtics: team news and how to watch it on TV

The NBA will be returning to the UK when the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics face off at The O2 in London tonight.

It’s the eighth regular-season NBA match to be held in the British capital and a crowd of more than 18,500 will get to see an international line-up of basketball stars.

Philadelphia’s squad features Joel Embiid (Cameroon), Furkan Korkmaz (Turkey), Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (France), Dario Saric (Croatia) and Ben Simmons (Australia). While Boston include Aron Baynes (Australia), Al Horford (Dominican Republic), Abdel Nader (Egypt), Daniel Theis (Germany) and Guerschon Yabusele (France) in their ranks.

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We look at the squads, key players and how to watch the 76ers vs. Celtics match on TV and online.

NBA London Game 2018 guide

What time does the NBA London Game 2018 start?

The 76ers vs. Celtics game kicks off at 8pm (UK time) at The O2. Tickets for the clash have sold out.

What TV channel is the NBA London game on?

The Philadelphia 76ers host the Boston Celtics at The O2 in London tonight as part of the NBA London Game 2018. The game is live on BT Sport or via the NBA League Pass. BT Sport will also live stream the match on its Facebook page.

Team rosters and players

Who are the players to watch?

What the 76ers stars say about playing in London at The O2

• Ben Simmons, 76ers: “I’ve never played here, so this will be the first time playing basketball in the UK for me. When we’ll walk in the arena, it’s going to look a little different, but once the ball is in the air it’s going to be the same thing as everywhere else.”
• Joel Embiid, 76ers: “I’m excited, it’s a chance for me to show the crowd my skills, to show the whole world what I can do.”
• Robert Covington, 76ers: “This is a once in a lifetime experience. Not too many people get to do what we’re doing here in London.”

#NBALondon in numbers

• 1: the 76ers count two No. 1 Draft picks on their current roster – Ben Simmons (2016) and Markelle Fultz (2017).
• 3: Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets and the Toronto Raptors are tied for the most games played in London with three games each.
• 8: the matchup will be the NBA’s eighth regular-season game in London.
• 9: The O2 clash will mark the Celtics’ ninth game in Europe. They’ve played three times in Madrid, three times in Italy, once in London and once in Istanbul (2012).
• 10: seasons since the Celtics played in the first NBA game at The O2 in London; they subsequently went on to win the 2007-08 season NBA Championship.
• 11: international players in the NBA London Game 2018.
• 17: the Celtics have won a league-best 17 NBA Championships including a record eight consecutive titles between 1959 and 1966.
• 25: years since the first NBA Game in London when the Atlanta Hawks took on the Orlando Magic in October 1993.
• 64: record number of European players on opening-night rosters for the 2017-18 season.
• 213: standing 213cm in height, 76ers centre Joel Embiid is the tallest player at the NBA London Game 2018.
• 1983: the year the 76ers won their third NBA Championship (1955, 1967, 1983).
• 18,689: capacity at The O2 – this year’s game sold out in less than an hour.