Well, it all comes down to this, Sixers fans. Game 7 in Boston. For all the marbles. The whole enchilada. Here’s the most pressing questions we have heading into the biggest Sixers game in years.
Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and???
In game 6, both Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey went for 26 points and were the most effective players on the floor for Philadelphia. Assuming they bring quality efforts with them to TD Garden on Sunday, who else will step up for the Sixers? James Harden has had some memorable moments in this series, but his 0-for-6 from three and -10 plus/minus in a pivotal game 6 won’t cut it in game 7. Tobias will also need to hit more than one shot as well. It’ll take the entire group to pull out a victory, but a couple of solo performances outside of the MVP and Maxey would go a long way.
Which Jayson Tatum shows up for game 7?
The Celtics star hasn’t necessarily arrived in this series, but he hit just enough shots when Boston needed him most in game 6. The C’s can’t afford for their star to shoot 1-for-13 through three quarters like he did in the last game so it would be wise for the Sixers to dig in defensively and get Tatum out of rhythm early to plant the seeds of doubt.
Reverse the Curse?
The Sixers are 6-11 all-time in game sevens and are 0-for-3 in their last three games in the win or go home scenario. The last time Philly won in a game seven would be in 2001, when they defeated the Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Ironically enough, Philly is 2-5 all-time against the Celtics in game 7’s. You would have to go all the way back to the 80s for the last time the Sixers beat Boston in the decisive final game of a series. On May 23, 1982, Andrew Tony dropped 34 points to lead the scoring in a dominant 120-106 Sixer win with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line. These two banner franchises have met in a lot of meaningful contexts over the years, but as you can see, it hasn’t meant a lot of success for the Sixers. Can Philly reverse their fortune and set the table for a clear pathway to the NBA Finals?
You can catch game 7 on ABC for a 3:30 tip-off.
