After finally fielding the Hawks in 6 games, the Celtics now face the Celtics Philadelphia Seventy Sixerswho have been sitting at home since April 22, when they finished the sweep in Brooklyn Networks. The Celtics have won 3 of their 4 regular season games. The Celtics won their first 3 games by 9.7 and 3 points. The 76ers won the final meeting by two points against the Celtics’ missing Robert Williams and Galen Brown.
This is the twenty-second meeting in the playoffs between these two Atlantic Rivals divisions. The last time Philadelphia beat the Celtics in a playoff match was in 1982. This is the third playoff meeting between these two teams in the last 6 years. The Celtics beat the 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2018 in a sweep of the Gentlemen. They then swept the 76ers in the first round in the Bubble in 2020.
These two teams have played 463 regular season games with the Celtics winning 267 and 76 games won 196. The Celtics are 154-56 all-time in Boston in the regular season. The Celtics and their 76 players have played a total of 109 playoff games against each other. Of those, the Celtics have won 62 while the 76ers have won 47. The Celtics are 15-43 all-time in playoff games against the Boston 76ers.
The biggest question mark in this series is the status of 76ers center Joel Embiid. He missed the last game of the 76ers sweep in the first round after hitting the LCL in Game 3 of the first round. At this time it is considered questionable for this game. However, he was seen making jumpers after practice on Sunday, so his position is really a game time decision. If he plays, he will likely need to wear a knee brace and his ability to cut and move may be hampered. For the Celtics only Danilo Gallinari is an outsider.
Another question mark in this series is which Celtics will appear? When they are locked in and playing well, they can beat any team in the league. For example, when they beat the perfectly healthy Bucks by 41. However, when they are out of focus and when they take the opponent for granted, they can be beaten by any team in the league. For example, a loss Houston Rockets, or lead 28 points against the Nets, or lose Game 5 to the Hawks at home. Especially if Embiid comes out, hopefully the Celtics don’t lose focus and play at less than highest intensity.
Celtics reserves
Malcolm Brogdon
Grant Williams
Sam Hauser
Peyton Pritchard
Luke Cornet
Blake Griffin
Mike Muscala
Robert Williams III
2 players way
JD Davison
Mviondo Capangel
out / injuries
Exit by Danilo Gallinari (ACL).
Coach
Joe Mazola
76 potential starters
Sixers reserves
Dewayne Didmon
Montreal Harrell
Danuel House Jr
Furkan Korkmaz
Jalen McDaniels
De Anthony Melton
Milton shook
George Niang
Jaden Springer
2 players way
Mac Macklong
Louis King
out / injuries
Joel Embiid (knee) is questionable
Coach
Doc Rivers
major matches
Marcus Smart vs. James Harden
If Embiid plays, Embiid vs Al Horford will be the main match, but with Embiid out, Harden vs Smart becomes the main match. Harden averaged 17.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game against the Nets in the first round. He shot 34.3% from the field and 42.4% from outside the arc. He averaged 25.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 9.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He shot 47.5% from the field and 42.4% from outside the arc in 3 games against the Celtics this season. It goes without saying that the Celtics need to stick with him in this game, especially on the perimeter.
Derek White vs. Therese Maxie
Maxi came off the bench in two games against the Celtics this season and made two starts. He started 4 games against the Nets in the first round, averaging 21.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He shot 47.1% from the field and 50% from outside the arc. In 4 games against Boston this season, he averaged 10 points, 3 rebounds and 1.8 assists. He shot 35.4% from the field and 21.4% from outside the arc. The Celtics need to limit him in this game like they did in the regular season.
honorific
Jaylen Brown vs. Tobias Harris
Harris played very well in the 76ers’ first round game against the Nets, averaging 20.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. He shot 56.7% from the field and 57.1% from outside the arc. In 4 games against the Celtics this season, he’s averaged 11.5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1.3 steals per game. He shot 43.1% from the field and 36.8% from outside the arc. Hopefully, the Celtics can tie him down in the playoffs like they did in the regular season.
game keys
defense Defense will always be the key to winning every game, especially in the playoffs. The Celtics are 10th in the playoffs with a 114.3 Defensive Rating and the Sixers are 2nd in the playoffs with a 102.5 Defensive Rating. The Sixers are 13th in the playoffs, scoring 103.8 points per game. The Celtics have to go into this game with the mentality that they need to play tough defense. The Celtics have players who play defense but they’ve been inconsistent and sometimes seem to forget how to play defense. They have to go back to making defense their priority on every possession every game because defense is more important in the playoffs.
recovery The rebound is second only to defense as the key to victory. The Celtics are sixth in the playoffs with 45.0 rebounds per game while the Sixers are second with 48.5 rebounds per game. It takes effort to get rebounds and the Celtics should do their best to beat the Sixers to the boards. The Celtics need to keep the Sixers, who are top of the playoffs with 20 second chance points, from getting extra points around the basket and need to give themselves extra possessions by rebounding on the offensive end. If the Celtics want to win this, it’s critical that they do everything they can to smash the plates.
Be aggressive The Celtics should be the team that plays harder and wants to win more. They have to be aggressive in diving for loose balls, in going for the basket, in getting stops on the defensive side, in shutting down passing lanes, and in following up on rebounds. The Celtics have to be the toughest team from start to finish. If they start slowly, they may not be able to catch up. They also can’t let Sixers come back if they get ahead because Sixers are good at finishing games. The Celtics need to play with energy and power from the opening buzzer to the final buzzer.
Stay focused The Celtics need to stay focused on playing the game the right way and not complaining about referee calls they disagree with. The Celtics have to stay focused on catching and hitting good shots, and that includes going for the basket if all three don’t go down. They should focus on making clear passes and not fumbles because the 76ers averaged 17.5 points of turnover in the first round. They have to keep their focus on playing hard and playing the right way.
X-factors
training Former Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who is in his third year as Sixers coach, is one of the 15 greatest coaches in NBA history. Joe Mazzola is in his first season as head coach, having landed the job with only two weeks left in the season. The Celtics held the lead in the first round but had some growing pains along the way. Doc has been criticized for his inability to make his teams out of the second round and he’ll throw everything he’s got at the Celtics and it will be up to Mzulla to tackle him.
home game The Celtics have been a good team at home all season, despite dropping Game 5 in the first round at home to the Hawks. The 76ers are a good road team, with a 25-16 record on the road in the regular season. Teams struggle to get home field advantage for some reason and the Celtics need to take advantage of having the fans behind them and being on their court. Hopefully, the 76ers will be distracted by the travel, hotel stays, and hostile crowd.
verdict Synthesis is always an x-factor. Each crew calls the game differently. Some call it tight and touch every bit of contact while others allow more physical play. In the playoffs so far, they’ve allowed more physical play. Some favor the home team while others call the two sides equally. The Celtics have to adapt to the way the referees call the game and not let incorrect calls and bad calls affect their focus on playing the game. They especially need to keep their poise and not complain to the referees on every call.