BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 14: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts in the fourth quarter of a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on October 16, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)Adam Glanzman/Getty Images

Joel Embiid on Celtics: 'It's Not a Rivalry. ... They Always Kick Our Ass'

Alec NathanOct 16, 2018

Take it from Joel Embiid, and there is no budding rivalry between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers.

"This is not a rivalry," Embiid said following the Sixers' 105-87 loss to the Celtics on Tuesday night, per Sporting News' Sean Deveney. "I don't know our record against them, but it's pretty bad. They always kick our ass."

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The big man has a point.

The Celtics went 3-1 against the Sixers during the 2017-18 regular season, and they dispatched them in five games during a heated—albeit rather lopsided—Eastern Conference semifinals clash in May.

For what it's worth, Sixers shooting guard JJ Redick is with Embiid.

"I'm a firm believer having played ACC basketball that one side has to beat the other side for it to be a rivalry and vice versa," Redick told reporters prior to Tuesday's season opener. "It's not a rivalry until we knock them out of the playoffs. For now, they've got the upper hand. It’s not a rivalry."

The Sixers will get their next crack at the Celtics when the two sides hit Boston's parquet floor on Christmas Day.