Celtics will help raise curtain on Sixers’ season

The 76ers will begin their regular season at Wells Fargo Center with a favorite old, nasty rival, the Boston Celtics, according to a schedule release statement Monday.

The teams will collide Wednesday, Oct. 23 with a 7:30 tipoff in a game telecast nationally on ESPN. It will be one of 24 regular season Sixers games that will be featured as part of a national telecast on either ESPN, ABC or TNT.

The Sixers will also be televised 12 times on NBA-TV.

Once the Celtics meeting unveils the season, the Sixers will be off to Detroit for their road opener Oct. 26 against the Pistons.

The schedule also sees the Sixers play at home on Christ- mas Day, hosting Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Eastern Conference finalists Milwaukee Bucks in a game broadcast on ABC beginning at 2:30. It’s the first Christmas home game for the franchise since 1988.

The NBA’s reigning No. 1 overall draft choice, Zion Williamson, and the New Orleans Pelicans are scheduled to be in South Philly on Dec. 13 (7 p.m.). Then a month after Christmas, the Sixers will host Anthony Davis, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Just three nights later, the Golden State Warriors will be in town for their only visit on Jan. 28. Semifinals Championship