After finally dispatching the Hawks in 6 games, the Celtics now face the Philadelphia 76ers, who have been sitting at home since April 22, when they finished the sweep of the Brooklyn Nets. The Celtics won 3 of the 4 games between them in the regular season. The Celtics won the first 3 games by 9,7 and 3 points. The 76ers won the final meeting by 2 points against a Celtics team missing Robert Williams and Jalen Brown.
This is the 22nd meeting in the playoffs between these two Atlantic Division Rivals. Philadelphia last beat the Celtics in a playoff game in 1982. This is the 3rd playoff meeting between these two teams in the last 6 years. The Celtics beat the 76ers the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2018 in a Gentlemen’s Sweep. 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 the 76ers winning 196. The Celtics are 154-56 all time in Boston in the regular season. The Celtics and 76ers 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 76ers played in Boston.
The biggest question mark in this series is the status of 76ers center Joel Embiid. He missed the final game of the 76ers sweep over the Nets in the first round after spraining his LCL in Game 3 of the first round. At this time he is considered doubtful for this game. However, he was seen taking jumpers after practice on Sunday so his status is truly a game time decision. If he does play, he will likely need to wear a knee brace and his ability to cut and move may be hindered. For the Celtics only Danilo Gallinari is out.
Another question mark in this series is which Celtics will show up? When they are locked in and playing well, they can beat any team in the league. For instance, when they beat the fully healthy Bucks by 41. However, when they come out unfocused and when they take the opponent for granted, they can be beaten by any team in the league. For instance, a loss to the Houston Rockets, or a blown 28 point lead against the Nets, or losing Game 5 to the Hawks at home. Especially if Embiid is out, hopefully the Celtics don’t lose focus and play with less than their highest intensity.
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