The Sixers' home game against the Celtics on Jan. 23 has been postponed to Sunday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Center because of Winter Storm Jonas.
Tickets for the Jan. 23 game will be honored on Jan. 24.
(Several college games in the city have been postponed from Saturday too.)
The change in schedule was announced after practice, though, and the Sixers approached the day as if they were playing the next night.
“We all are going to be waiting for whatever news comes our way,” head coach Brown said after practice. “We’re expecting to play, we’re preparing to play and nothing will change as far as a routine or what we’re talking about until we hear otherwise.”
Brown said the team had “contingency plans all over the place” in case the game was held. The players were prepared to travel to the arena even if there was snow on the ground.
For Nerlens Noel, who grew up outside of Boston, navigating through this weather is nothing new. His Range Rover is better equipped to handle the roads than his previous rides.
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“I’m very experienced,” he said of driving in wintery conditions. “I remember when I was just 16 riding my dad’s Camry around the city in 10 inches of snow. I’m looking forward to it, I think it’ll be fun.”
Ish Smith is more used to rain than snow from living in Northern Carolina. He planned to take his time if he had to get to the game.
“I don’t know if I’m excited or nervous about it, I don’t know," he said. "But I’ve got a Jeep so hopefully my four-wheel drive will be alright. Hopefully the roads will be clear. If not, I’ll drive 10 miles per hour. Just don’t be behind me and honk at me.”
The person who may be most excited about the snow is Brown. He grew up in Maine and went to college at Boston University. After coaching 17 years in Australia and 12 in San Antonio, he likes experiencing four seasons in Philadelphia.
"Both of my parents were school teachers," he said. "You used to huddle around the radio to see what school district was cancelled. You’d go right to 'Gilligan’s Island' and 'Bewitched' and just bunker in for the day and watch TV as a small kid. But that shows my age, telling you those TV shows. I enjoy snow and I think it’s, in a twisted way, an exciting part of being back on the side of the country."