Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia 76ers series preview, powerhouses clash

After battling the Atlanta Hawks in six games to advance to the second round, the Boston Celtics meet up with the well-rested Philadelphia 76ers with a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals on the line.

For the 11th time in the last 16 years, the Boston Celtics are one of the final four teams standing in the Eastern Conference. Despite a valiant effort by Quin Snyder’s Atlanta Hawks, the Celtics’ late-game execution in Game 6 sets up a meeting against their most hated Eastern Conference rival, the Philadelphia 76ers. The two sides have played in 109 postseason contests up to this point dating all the way back to the 1950s when the 76ers were called the Syracuse Nationals.

With Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks shockingly out in the first round of the playoffs, the field is way open for the Cs to take the conference crown for the second straight campaign. In a series that took less than two weeks, the 76ers cruised past the Brooklyn Nets in the first round for the franchise’s first postseason sweep since 1991 when Hersey Hawkins and Charles Barkley called the “City of Brotherly Love” home.

The two have battled in 21 postseason series’ with Boston winning 14 of them. The Cs have won the last five postseason meetings as the 76ers are seeking to win their first series against their northeast rivals since the thrilling seven-game series in 1982. Philadelphia has won just seven postseason contests against Boston since May 1982. Despite the dominance of Embiid in the painted area, his 76ers have won just one playoff game against the Boston Celtics. History is clearly not on Philadelphia’s side.

The series win over the Nets did not come without a cost. MVP candidate Joel Embiid suffered a knee sprain in a Game 3 victory at the Barclays Center. His status is currently unknown for Game 1 of the series with the conclusion possibly not being made until the day of the game. According to 76ers coach Doc Rivers, Embiid did not participate in anything on Saturday, making him a doubt for Game 1 at the TD Garden on Monday night.

Even if he comes back not 100%, Embiid is going to be a difference-maker. Joe Mazzulla will most likely deploy Al Horford and Grant Williams on Embiid due to their physicality and versatility on both the perimeter and in the paint. Despite playing in just two games against Atlanta to begin postseason action, Williams was one of seven players to average 30 or more minutes in the four games against Philadelphia during the regular season. The former Tennessee star and Horford are the only Celtics to have netted 10 or more 3-pointers against the 76ers in 2022/23. Robert Williams III is more likely to be playing in more of a roaming role this time around as Embiid is much more of a mismatch for the Texas A&M product.

The Boston Celtics need to get out to a fast start before Joel Embiid returns to the 76ers’ lineup

The series will ultimately come down to the backcourt play of Rivers’ squad. Being able to shut down Embiid while staying attentive to get back and contest players like PJ Tucker, Tyrese Maxey, and Tobias Harris behind the 3-point line is going to be vital. Both Maxey and Harris were critical in the sweep of the Nets, shooting over 50% from the great beyond while scoring over 20 through the four contests.

Especially this season, the Boston Celtics have had the tendency to let Embiid get his. The former Kansas big man has averaged over 35 points per game against Boston in four games throughout the regular season. When he does come back, Mazzulla will more than likely craft up a game plan that prevents the role players from getting going around Embiid as he did in the second half of Game 6 vs Atlanta.

Embiid has obliterated Boston in nine postseason contests, averaging 26.1 points per game to go along with 13.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. He has recorded a double-double in every playoff game in his career vs the Cs. Without him, James Harden is going to be relied on to score the basketball at a much higher rate than what was expected most of the campaign.

In the regular season, the 76ers finished third in offensive rating, and eighth in defensive rating while being the only team in the NBA in 2022/23 to have made an average of 20.7 shots from the charity stripe per game. Only the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers managed on average to shot 38% or better from beyond the arc from October to mid-April. Embiid creates so much havoc in the painted area that an astounding 18.2% of the 76ers’ points per game over the 82-game campaign came from 15 feet away. They are going to get to the line at a rapid clip throughout the series, and there is nothing Mazzulla’s side can do about that.

From Julius Erving vs Larry Bird to Bill Russell vs Wilt Chamberlain and now Embiid vs Jayson Tatum, this is a showdown that has consistently been a classic since the 1965 Eastern Division Finals. No matter what the recent history states, competitiveness is always present. Especially with Tucker in the frontcourt, the 76ers team is not going to back down from a fight. When Philadelphia punches, the Cs have to be prepared to punch back. It is going to be a series of haymakers on both ends. How Boston responds to those in the midst of the battle could very well decide if it will reach the ECF for the fourth time in the last six matches.

Round two schedule:

Game 1: Philadelphia 76ers @ Boston Celtics, Monday, May 1, 7:30 pm EST (TNT)

Game 2: Philadelphia 76ers @ Boston Celtics, Wednesday, May 3, 8:00 pm EST (TNT)

Game 3: Boston Celtics @ Philadelphia 76ers, Friday, May, 7:30 pm EST (ESPN)

Game 4: Boston Celtics @ Philadelphia 76ers, Sunday, May 7, 3:30 pm EST (ESPN)

Game 5 (if necessary): Philadelphia 76ers @ Boston Celtics, Tuesday, May 9, (time TBD)

Game 6 (if necessary): Boston Celtics @ Philadelphia 76ers, Thursday, May 11, (time TBD)

Game 7 (if necessary): Philadelphia 76ers @ Boston Celtics, Sunday, May 14, (time TBD)

The winner gets either the five-seeded New York Knicks or the eight-seeded Miami Heat.

Two historic rivals for a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals. This has all the makings of an unforgettable series.

Series Prediction: Boston Celtics in six games