In picture. A win on Wednesday could give the Sixers the advantage and move them one spot closer as they would come up on the heels of the Detroit Pistons.But Wednesday’s Christmas Day slate game is far from a locked win for Philadelphia.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has been fined $35K, while Nets center Nic Claxton has been fined $25K, the NBA announced today in a pair of press releases ( Twitter links ).

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was fined $35,000 and Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Saturday for league rule violations at Thursday contests.Mazzulla was fined for "aggressively pursuing and directing inappropriate language toward a game official,

Analysis: All three of these players were free agents at the start of the offseason so they were ineligible to be traded until Sunday. Currently, the only players that can’t be dealt on Boston’s roster are Jayson Tatum and Sam Hauser after signing extensions this past offseason.

On this day, former Celtic forward Antoine Walker scored a triple-double against Charlotte, and Net Mike Newlin hung 52 points on Boston.

The Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics are back in action after a quick one-day break, this time however, the teams will be facing off in Chicago. The Bulls were

On the injury front, things are clearer for Memphis. Only GG Jackson (foot surgery) and Vince Williams Jr. (ankle) are listed as out. Rookie center Zach Edey has been upgraded to doubtful to play on Friday as he gets closer to a return.

Two of the top four sides in the Eastern Conference of the NBA will do battle at Amway Center on Tuesday as the Orlando Magic entertain the challenge of the Boston Celtics. Both teams head into this one off the back of respective victories and will be looking to pick up where they left off last time out.

LeBron James and Steph Curry served up a Christmas Day feast as their rivalry delivered another classic with the Los Angeles Lakers edging

Victor Wembanyama put up 42 points with 18 rebounds and four blocks for the Spurs but Mikal Bridges took the glory with a brilliant 15-point fourth-quarter

And throw in a couple of victories over the young but inconsistent Charlotte Hornets and a blowout against the Washington Wizards — a team the Knicks will face two more times before the New Year — to paint a clearer picture: the Knicks have benefited from a favorable schedule.

The NBA’s veteran small forward Jimmy Butler reportedly prefers a trade from the Miami Heat. Butler, 35, has played for the Heat since signing with the team in a sign-and-trade with the Philadelphia 76ers through a four-team trade.