CELTICS NOTEBOOK: Rivalry with 76ers is starting to be renewed

The Celtics and the Sixers will open the NBA season on Tuesday night and be showcased again on Christmas Day in Boston.

BOSTON – The first step in the renewal of an NBA Eastern Conference rivalry was taken last spring.

That’s when the Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers, postseason combatants in the 1960s and 1980s, squared off in the second round of the playoffs.

They are two young, talented teams with bright futures, and they figured to be playing important games for the next several years.

So the NBA made sure to put Boston-Philadelphia in the spotlight, pitting the Celtics and the 76ers in the league’s opening game tonight at the TD Garden (8 p.m., TV: TNT; radio: WBZ-FM/98.5) and again as part of the Christmas Day package.

The Celtics eliminated the Sixers in five games last season to move into the conference finals, and now they have added Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward to the mix.

“I’m sure there will be (leftover feelings from last season),’’ said Marcus Smart following practice Monday afternoon. “I don’t know how emotional it will be or how much the carryover will be, but I’m sure there’s going to be some.

“I wouldn’t call it a rivalry. It’s fun. They compete every day and make you work every possession. I wouldn’t call it a rivalry just yet. I’m sure it will get there.’’

Jayson Tatum worked out with Joel Embiid during the summer and made sure he let the Sixers center know what happened when they met in the playoffs.

“I kept reminding him we should have swept them,’’ said Tatum with a smile. “We let them win one game. We were joking around.

“There’s definitely some animosity. We won, so they’re probably a little more fired up or angry than we are. We’re excited to play. We had a lot of good matchups with them last year, a lot of good battles, especially in the playoffs. We’re very excited. Everybody’s going to be watching.’’

The Celtics and Sixers played 11 times last season, including two meetings in the preseason, so they are well aware of each other.

“I think they’re one of the most creative teams on offense,’’ said coach Brad Stevens. “I greatly appreciate watching them as a basketball fan, let alone having the responsibility of preparing for them. I enjoy watching them play. Brett (Brown, the Sixers coach) does a great job and obviously they’ve very talented.’’

The playoff matchup last spring figures to be the first of a few between the teams with the cast of talented players on each side.

“The Sixers are a tremendous basketball team,’’ said Gordon Hayward. “They have a lot of talent, too, a lot of younger guys that can really play mixed in with some vets, kind of like us. They gave us some tough matchups last year. They’re a well-coached team and they’re going to be a tough matchup for us.’’

Fultz to start: Markelle Fultz, the No. 1 pick in the 2017 draft, will be in the starting lineup for the Sixers after missing nearly all of his rookie season.

Fultz appeared in only 14 games during the regular season (averaging 7.1 points) and three playoff games due to a shoulder injury. He will be starting in the backcourt opposite Ben Simmons with J.J. Redick coming off the bench as the sixth man.

The Celtics passed on the chance to draft Fultz, trading the top pick to the Sixers for the No. 3 pick (Tatum) and a future choice (likely from the Sacramento Kings in 2019).

Around the rim: Al Horford begins his 12th season and is as excited as ever. “We had this day marked for a while, the beginning of the season officially,’’ said Horford. “Looking forward to tomorrow. When you play for the Celtics, that expectation (to win a title) is always kind of there from everyone. This year it’s probably more real than any other year that I’ve been here. You feel it. People are just excited.’’ … Following the opener, the Celtics get right into a back-to-back situation with road games Friday and Saturday at Toronto and New York. … Stevens said he has settled on a starting lineup but would not reveal it. The only question is whether Hayward, restricted to a 25-minute limit, will start or come off the bench.