BOSTON (AP) — Joe Mazzulla’s Game 7 experience has been as an assistant coach, including last year when the Celtics won two of them on their way to the NBA Finals.
One of them was a 28-point explosion.
The other was a one possession play in the dying seconds.
“We know how to win easily and we know how to fight to the death,” the rookie coach said Saturday as he prepared for his first game as a first-choice winner. “I’m definitely looking forward to Game 7.”
The Celtics will meet the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday for the last remaining spot in the NBA’s Final Four. It’s only the second series to reach the seventh game so far in the postseason.
“We know what we have to do,” said Sixers quarterback Joel Embiid, who was crowned the NBA Most Valuable Player during the series. “It’s going to be fun. Game 7. That’s what we play, for these kinds of games.”
The Celtics gained home court advantage by finishing three games ahead of Philadelphia in the standings. Boston also won three of the four games in the regular season. (The winner of Sunday’s game will also get a home advantage in the NBA Finals, if they can eliminate Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals.)
But playing at TD Garden hasn’t been such an advantage for Boston: The Celtics have only gone 7-9 in their last 16 home games—a far cry from the parquet days almost a certainty.
Boston quarterback Jaylen Brown has heard complaints from fans who have watched the team cough up a lead and give up games in both playoff series so far this postseason.
And the feeling is mutual.
“Celtics fans, they like to call us, right? So I’m going to call you guys this time,” Brown said after The Celtics won in Philadelphia on Thursday night To force the seventh game. “The energy in the park has been good at best in all playoffs. Game 7, if you’re there or you’re not there, if you’re watching at a bar, if you’re watching on the street at a friend’s house, I don’t care. I want you to be up, I want you to come With energy, because we’re going to need every bit of it. So I’m calling you guys. Let’s make sure the park is ready to go.”
76ERS in the Celtics
The series is tied 3-3. Game 7, 3:30 p.m. EST, Sunday, ABC
— Need to know: The Celtics are 26-9 all-time in Game 7s, including two wins last year on their way to the NBA Finals. The Sixers are 6-11, having lost all three of their winner-take-all games since their last trip to the NBA Finals in 2001.
– Keep an eye out: Celtics starting lineup. Coach Joe Mazzola inserted Robert Williams III into the Game 6 lineup, placing him alongside Al Horford to face NBA Most Valuable Player award winner Joel Embiid. The Celtics jumped out to a 15-3 lead.
– Injury Monitor: Since returning from a right knee injury that sidelined him for Game 1, Embiid has not shown any lingering effects. The Celtics have a clean injury report with the exception of Danilo Gallinari, who missed the entire season with a torn ACL.
PRESSURE ON: Sixers coach Doc Rivers has smashed 3-1 in a seven-game series three times in his career. Philadelphia is up 3-2 over Boston this year, but another collapse will add to its reputation for meltdowns. According to ESPN he has lost nine games in Game 7 – four more than any other coach.
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