The Sixers and Celtics played four times during the regular season, but those meetings don’t offer much insight into the current version of both teams, writes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). Three of those games were early in the season and the final one took place March 1, shortly before Jayson Tatum returned from his Achilles injury. Philadelphia’s Paul George also missed all four games, either because of injuries or suspension.
Coach Nick Nurse talked about the importance of having George to help slow down Tatum and Jaylen Brown when the first-round series starts Sunday afternoon. George, who has averaged 21 points per game and shot 41.5% from three-point range since returning from the suspension, sidestepped a question at Saturday’s practice about the Sixers’ underdog status.
“That sounds like a little bulletin board material right there,” he said. “We’ve given them their respect. But at the end of the day, man, it’s competition. We’ve got to go and compete. They’ve got to go and compete. That’s just what it boils down to. … We’re not going to back down. They’re not going to back down.”
There’s more on the Sixers:
- Boston has two obvious advantages heading into the series, Mizell adds in the same piece. One is three-point shooting, where the Celtics rank third in makes per game (15.5) and eighth in percentage (36.7%), while the Sixers are 22nd (12.3) and 23rd (34.9%) in those categories. The other is Boston’s huge advantage in offensive rebounding, which was on display in the March 1 game as the Celtics pulled down 19 offensive boards and scored 30 second-chance points. “The last game we played against them, we lost because we didn’t rebound,” Dominick Barlow said. “I think that’s going to be the game.”
- Philadelphia will need big scoring numbers from its backcourt combination of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe to have a chance in the series, notes Tony Jones of The Athletic. Maxey is looking forward to being back on the playoff stage in the wake of last year’s disastrous season. “Being in the playoffs means everything,” he said. “It means everything, man. The way last season went, I just didn’t want to have that feeling again. I challenged myself last summer, and I feel like I rose to that challenge. We’re here now, and we’re in the playoffs and that’s what matters the most.”
- Joel Embiid‘s status is uncertain as he recovers from an appendectomy, and Nurse refused to speculate on whether his star center will be available beyond the series opener (Twitter video link from PHLY Sports.) “I’m preparing for Sunday’s game, and I know he’s not playing in that one,” Nurse told reporters. “That’s all — we’re just zeroed in on trying to see, can we go in there and get ready to battle.”
We have struggled all year with Rebounding and that’s not going to change with or without Embiid. Queta will kill is on the boards plus they have Vuce. Tatum gets boards, Brown and White do their part. VJ is our best rebounder who gets real minutes and he’s going to be needed to do a lot offensively. PG same thing can rebound alright but will be against Tatum.
They shoot better, they have better coaching, they shoot better, and so on and so on. Unfortunately I don’t see us winning a game but hopefully that helps the owners make some tough calls and actually get this team into a better position next year.
Id rather we get swept and make the changes needed than win a game or two and try run it back with the same group again
My only goal for the series is to get VJ as many playoff minutes as possible. We will be lucky to even steal a game although it would be nice just to grab 1.
Celtics in 5.
76ers have all the talent but C’s are just motivated after last years 2nd round clap down by Knicks. I have them coming out of the east. Should be a very good series though for the big market city matchup.
Huh?