The Philadelphia 76ers return home for game three against the Boston Celtics after an embarrassing loss on the road. The series is currently tied 1-1, so who will take the lead in the best-of-seven series on Friday night? Will Joel Embiid’s knee hold up? Can the Sixers stop the Celtics’ 2-headed monster of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown?
Sixers vs. Celtics game info
Who: Celtics @ Sixers (series 1-1)
When: Friday, May 5th at 7:30 pm EST
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
How to watch: ESPN
How to listen: 97.5 The Fanatic
Sixers vs. Celtics betting info per DraftKings
Spread: Sixers +2 | Celtics -2
Moneyline: Sixers +110 | Celtics -130
Points total: Over/Under 214
Last time they met
In game two of their second-round matchup, Boston more than made up for the game one upset at TD Garden. The 76ers went up 1-0 despite Joel Embiid missing the initial game due to a knee sprain. Fresh off the official NBA announcement that he was the league MVP, Embiid suited up for the Sixers. Yet, his return was not enough to impact the outcome.
Jaylen Brown went on a tear, putting on an offensive clinic in front of his home crowd. He led the Celtics in scoring with 25 points, while Jayson Tatum uncharacteristically struggled, ending up with only seven points on one made field goal.
The rest of the Celtics’ wings and guards answered the call, though, as the glitch in Tatum’s game became apparent. The point production for the Sixers’ guards paled in comparison to Boston’s. Marcus Smart, Derrick White, and Malcolm Brogdon combined for 53 points. James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and De’Anthony Melton managed only to score 27 points.
Embiid, wearing a brace to stabilize his knee, also produced modest numbers, 15 points on 4-9 shooting. He did accumulate a game-high five blocked shots on the night. This tied his second-highest block total in a game for his playoff career.
The Sixers’ bench as a whole was lackluster, providing minimal points and not keeping the game closer as the starters rested. Paul Reed, the spark plug from game one, did score six points and grab eight rebounds in 16 minutes. Jalen McDaniels and Georges Niang, each logging 13 minutes, combined for only six points.
After such a solid Paul Reed performance in game one, the reinsertion of Embiid after suffering an injury raised concern for some, including the Sixers’ own head coach.
Doc Rivers, speaking after the game, lamented, “We were out of rhythm, but we expected that. We knew there would have to be some kind of growing pains bringing him (Embiid) back.”
Considering there are more games left in the series, Rivers admitted, “I am glad we got it out of the way today.”
The 76ers will need to adjust in the next game in order to have success against a Celtics team that made 20 three-pointers and led by as many as 36 points in game two.
What to expect
Joel Embiid only played 27 minutes in the last game. At shootaround on Thursday, Doc Rivers sounded optimistic about Joel Embiid’s status despite playing with a knee brace, according to John Clark. If the 76ers play Embiid again for the same amount of minutes or more, this can only help the Sixers’ defensive scheme. After recording five blocks in his return, he proved how valuable his rim protection can be versus the Celtics.
The offense sputtered, though, in the recent blowout, so Rivers will have to devise a plan to boost the effectiveness of the Sixers’ ball movement and execution. A positive note comes from the steady play of Tobias Harris, who has scored 15 or more points in every playoff game this postseason. Expect Harris to continue that production.
As most NBA fans know, role players typically play better at home. With the next two games at the Wells Fargo Center, bench contribution from De’Anthony Melton, Georges Niang, Paul Reed, and Jalen McDaniels is likely.
Unfortunately, Tyrese Maxey actually shoots a better 3-point percentage on the road, 48 percent versus 38 percent at home. He has struggled against Boston all season, most likely due to their capable wing defenders, whose length and athleticism can bother Maxey’s shot. One highlight in particular from game two, though offers a glimpse of hope, as Maxey applied a wicked pump fake on a drive to the basket and scored on his overzealous defender.
James Harden, who has made the playoffs in each year he has been in the NBA, has had success against Boston this past season, despite the last game’s sluggish performance. Versus the Celtics, he averaged 25.5 points a game and 9 assists. If the Sixers have any hope to win game three, Harden needs to step up either as a scorer or facilitator. In the Wednesday night debacle, he recorded only four assists.
The bright spot for Philly is that Paul Reed is playing with confidence and seems to have found a stable role on the team. Through much trial and error, Bball Paul has proven he can be relied on in big games, going back to the Brooklyn series. The bad news is that Joel Embiid’s record versus Boston in the playoffs is a putrid 1-9. Although the bulk of this record dates back to his early years under Brett Brown, including the fluky Disney Bubble series, it does raise doubt whether or not the core of Boston, which includes Smart, Tatum, Brown, and Horford, has Embiid’s number.
Considering this is the best roster Joel Embiid has ever had surrounding him, adding to that his MVP-winning season, that record could change for the better. If only his knee can stay strong enough to endure the rigorous play of the postseason and a hungry Boston team fresh off a Finals appearance, Joel Embiid can finally exorcise his playoff demons and reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in his career. First though, he must get through game three and shake off an ugly loss in game two.
Injury report
Sixers: Joel Embiid (questionable)
Celtics: Danilo Gallinari (out)
