The Boston Celtics efficiently responded to the problem an impressed Atlanta Hawks workforce posed over six video games in the course of the opening spherical of the playoffs.
The Philadelphia 76ers largely breezed previous the Brooklyn Nets in a first-round sweep however didn’t get out of it earlier than MVP finalist Joel Embiid suffered a sprained proper knee and missed the ultimate recreation of the sequence.
Now the franchises, which have met extra within the postseason than some other NBA groups, will renew their long-running rivalry within the Eastern Conference semifinals starting Monday.
Boston has gained the previous 5 playoff sequence between the groups. The most up-to-date was a sweep by the Celtic within the first spherical of the 2020 postseason contained in the Florida bubble. This newest period of matchups has introduced the historical past between the groups into perspective for the brand new technology.
“I’ve learned more about the Celtics and 76ers’ rivalry throughout time,” Boston All-Star Jaylen Brown stated. “Watching Bill Russell’s Netflix series, I got to see how he and Wilt Chamberlain had a rivalry back in the day. … Bill and Wilt used to go at it, and how many people used to show up to those games and kind of how it was born.
“Just learning that history kind of gave me more foresight into today’s time.”
Brown is among the stars of this present renewal, his 26.7 points-per-game common within the first spherical simply behind fellow All-Star Jayson Tatum’s 27.2.
76ers coach Doc Rivers stated Boston’s stars are simply the tip of a roster loaded with expertise on each ends of the ground and expertise.
“They’ve been to the Finals. They get it,” Rivers stated. “They’ve been through any type of adversity. Nothing’s going to shake them and you got to be ready for that.”
One benefit Embiid and the 76ers do have due to Boston’s prolonged sequence was plenty of time to recuperate after wrapping up their sweep of the Nets greater than every week in the past.
Embiid was noticed going via a handful of drills after Philadelphia’s observe on Sunday and was “still improving,” in accordance with Rivers. But his standing stays uncertain, Rivers informed reporters. Embiid averaged 20 factors and 11.3 rebounds within the three video games he performed this postseason.
“We was hoping that (the layoff would) get enough time for big fella to get back and be ready for Game 1,” James Harden stated. “But a little adversity, just to be ready to go out there and play well for Game 1, get off to a really good start and just give them four quarters of just toughness.”
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla stated their preparations haven’t modified even with the standing of Embiid up within the air:
“Not so much the game plan (changes) as much as it is the understanding of who they are when he’s not in the game. That could be for 10 minutes, that could be for 48 minutes. It doesn’t matter. But they have a clear identity, and each guy is going to rise to the level of who they are when he’s not in. So we just have to be ready for that.”
SCOREBOARD
Philadelphia and Boston have met 21 instances within the postseason, with the Celtics successful 14 of these sequence. The final time the 76ers gained was the 1982 Eastern Conference finals matchup when Philadelphia took Game 7 in Boston.
BROWN’S FINGER
Along with Embiid’s knee, one other harm to observe will probably be a finger harm on Brown’s taking pictures hand.
Brown performed via the primary spherical whereas recovering from a reduce on the webbing between his index and center fingers. The reduce break up open in Boston’s Game 1 win.
“It was some ups and downs, but I managed it, I think, pretty well,” Brown stated. “I ultimately just tried to help my team as much as I possibly could. But I’m feeling lot better now.”
