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Former Celtics Big Man Ruled Out vs. 76ers in Preseason Opener

The Philadelphia 76ers will not face a former division rival on Monday.

Justin Grasso

Apr 6, 2021; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Tacko Fall (99) defends against Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (12) in the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Apr 6, 2021; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Tacko Fall (99) defends against Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (12) in the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images
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On Monday night, the Philadelphia 76ers are set to take the floor for their preseason opener. Before they spend a full season battling against NBA opponents, the Sixers will get some action against the New Zealand Breakers.

Ahead of the Breakers’ US tour this fall, the Breakers added former Boston Celtics big man Tacko Fall.

Unfortunately, the former Sixers rival will not get the nod to play on Monday.

According to ClutchPoints’ Sam DiGiovanni, Fall has been ruled out for the preseason matchup on Monday. The center is reportedly dealing with a quad strain.

Before his Breakers run, Fall was a standout at UCF in the NCAA. He entered the NBA Draft in 2019. Although the seven-footer went undrafted, Fall was brought in by the Boston Celtics. He spent two seasons with the Celtics. Although he had limited playing experience across two seasons, Fall was a fan-favorite in Boston.

During his rookie effort, he appeared in seven games. By year two, he had 19 appearances on the Celtics, averaging just seven minutes on the court.

Most of Fall’s Celtics stint was spent with the Maine Red Claws in the NBA G League. Fall led the G League in blocks in 2022 and was a two-time All-Defensive Team member at the G League level in 2020 and 2022.

In 2021, Fall’s time with the Celtics concluded. As a result, he signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a two-way deal. Fall appeared in 11 games with the Cavs during the 2021-2022 NBA season. In early January, Fall was waived by the Cavs, late re-joining the team’s G League affiliate.

Since 2022, Fall has been out of the NBA. He’s since had stints in China, Puerto Rico, and now the Breakers. It’s unclear if Fall will get an extended run with the Breakers or not, but his setback will keep him off the court for the time being.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA

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