The Philadelphia 76ers open their first-round series against the Boston Celtics on Sunday afternoon with a roster that looks far different from the one that met Boston four times during the regular season.
Three of those games were played early in the year and the most recent came on March 1, shortly before Jayson Tatum came back from an Achilles injury. Philadelphia swingman Paul George missed all four matchups because of injuries or a league suspension, but he will be available for Game 1. Since returning from that suspension, the eight-time All-Star is averaging 21.0 points and shooting 41.5 percent from three-point range.
Head coach Nick Nurse said George’s presence is critical to slowing Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Asked Saturday about the Sixers’ underdog label, George replied, “We’ve given them their respect. But at the end of the day, it’s competition. We’ve got to go and compete. They’ve got to go and compete.”
Boston’s statistical edge
The Celtics enter the series with clear advantages in two areas. They rank third in the league in made three-pointers per game (15.5) and eighth in percentage (36.7 percent). Philadelphia sits 22nd in makes (12.3) and 23rd in percentage (34.9 percent).
Boston also dominated the glass in the March 1 meeting, grabbing 19 offensive rebounds and turning them into 30 second-chance points. “The last game we played against them, we lost because we didn’t rebound,” forward Dominick Barlow said. “I think that’s going to be the game.”
Backcourt scoring, Embiid’s status
The Sixers will look to guards Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe for heavy scoring to offset Boston’s strengths. “Being in the playoffs means everything,” Maxey said, recalling last season’s early exit. “I challenged myself last summer, and I feel like I rose to that challenge.”
Philadelphia’s biggest unknown remains the availability of Joel Embiid. The MVP center is recovering from an appendectomy and has been ruled out for Game 1. Nurse declined to project a timeline beyond Sunday, saying, “I’m preparing for Sunday’s game, and I know he’s not playing in that one.”
Game 1 tips off Sunday afternoon in Boston.
Source: Hoops Rumors
