When: Monday, May1, 7:30 p.m. Tip-Off
Where: TD Garden
How to Watch: TNT
The Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics face off in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
Here’s what you need to know about Monday’s semi-finals match-up:
The Sixers Side: Philly rolled in round 1, sweeping the Brooklyn Nets in a pretty non competitive series. It was a game series for many players, but no one stepped up more than Tobias Harris, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey. In the series-deciding game 4, Harris’ 25 points led the way, while James Harden and Tyrese Maxey combined for 33 points. Even De’Anthony Melton chipped in 15 off the bench.
This time around, however, the Sixers will be facing much more stout competition in the Celtics. With reports circulating over the last 48 hours of Joel Embiid’s absence from game 1 to a LCL Sprain, the Sixers will have to look heavily into a Harden led offense. They have fared decently this season without the probably MVP of the league in Joel, but Boston presents a much different match-up. The Sixers will need hands on deck to defeat the Celtics in this best of seven.
Sixers Player to Watch: Joel Embiid: Embiid was highlighted in this section in our last playoff preview, but this time, it’s for completely different reasons. The big man’s health is a major obstacle once again for the Sixers and if (or when) he does play will have a large impact on the Philly’s chances in this series. According to the Athletic, the Celtics scored 117.4 points per 100 possessions against Philadelphia during Embiid’s minutes across four regular season games this season. Despite this, the 76ers still won those minutes, but it took a herculean-like effort from Embiid. Can he manage to do that while not fully healthy when he inevitable returns?
The Celtics Side: Boston took the season series 3-1 with the Sixers and the defending Eastern Conference Champions pose the sole biggest threat to Philadelphia’s title aspirations in the east. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are probably the second and third-best players in this series, next to Embiid. The athleticism and talent both players possess could cause fits for Philadelphia if PJ Tucker and Tobias Harris aren’t up to speed defensively from the get-go. This is Boston’s single biggest advantage in the series and they already own one of the best home records in the NBA, sitting at 34-10.
Celtics Player to Watch: Jaylon Brown: We outlined in the round 1 preview that the Sixers struggle with getting back on defense and to be blunt, Brown has a chance to eat Philly alive in transition if they aren’t careful in this series. Brown is averaging 26.7 points per game this postseason and he and teammate Derrick White are Boston’s premier transition players. Even in halfcourt sets, Jaylon Brown’s first step-quickness makes him a matchup nightmare and gives him the time and space to create looks at the basket from the mid-range at will.
Prediction: Celtics in 6: It’s simple here: no Embiid, no dice for a Sixers squad dealing with a Celtics team that is deeper and healthier than them. Boston has a distinct advantage on the wings with Tatum and Brown and so long as the duo doesn’t settle for too many threes and turns in yeoman’s-like work on the defensive end, then the Celtics should be returning to the Eastern Conference Final with an opportunity to defend their crown.
