After placing little or no effort right into a Recreation 5 loss on their house court docket, the Celtics should return to Philadelphia to play a Recreation 6 with the 76ers main 3 video games to 2. The Celtics have themselves responsible for locating themselves one recreation away from elimination. After their losses, the frequent thread via the Celtics’ press conferences was that they didn’t play with urgency and that they wanted to do higher within the subsequent recreation. Now it’s win or go house and in order that urgency should come on this recreation.
Marcus Sensible put into perspective what the Celtics have to be keen to do. ”In case you’re not keen to just about get soiled, if you happen to’re not keen to bleed, if you happen to’re not keen to interrupt one thing, keen to tear one thing going arduous, then you definately shouldn’t be on that court docket, as a result of that’s what it’s.” Each Celtic have to be keen to play with depth and with urgency and depart every part on the market on the court docket or there isn’t a subsequent recreation.
The statistics actually don’t favor the Celtics. Solely 54 groups out of 338 groups which have gone down 3-2 in a greatest of seven playoff collection have come again to win the collection. That’s simply 16%. The Celtics have carried out it 6 occasions. The 76ers have given up a 3-2 lead twice, each occasions to the Celtics. In 1981, the 76ers have been up 3-1 and the Celtics received the ultimate 3 video games of the collection. Final season, the Celtics have been down 3-2 to the defending Champion Bucks and so they received Recreation 6 in Milwaukee and Recreation 7 in Boston to win the collection.
Though the core gamers are the identical as final yr’s crew that beat Milwaukee, this crew shouldn’t be the identical. Final yr’s crew received with a constant defensive effort and so they performed tougher than their opponents. This crew has the person defenders however by some means, they lack the defensive effort to continually get stops. A win on this recreation will begin with a robust effort on the defensive finish.
There are a couple of different details that will go within the Celtics favor. The Celtics have been good in bounce again video games and likewise in video games the place their backs are in opposition to the wall. During the last two postseasons, The Celtics are 6-1 after a house loss. They’re 3-1 when these video games are on the highway. Additionally, for the 76ers to win this recreation, they must win 3 straight video games in opposition to the Celtics. I simply don’t see that occuring. Nevertheless, the Celtics have to provide most effort in the event that they wish to win.
Then, there may be Doc Rivers’ historical past as a coach within the playoffs. Doc is the one coach in NBA historical past to blow a 3-1 lead three completely different occasions. In 2003, he was the coach of the Orlando Magic and so they misplaced a collection to the Pistons after going up 3-1. In 2015, as a coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, he misplaced a collection to the Rockets that the Clippers had led 3-1. Lastly, in 2020, the Clippers misplaced a collection to Denver after main 3-1. Doc’s groups have additionally misplaced a collection after going up 3-2 3 times in 2009, 2010 and 2012.
Joel Embiid is as soon as once more listed on the 76ers damage listing as questionable. He missed the primary recreation of the collection with a knee sprain, however he has performed within the final 4 video games and he has performed higher as every of these video games progressed. I don’t see him lacking this recreation. I additionally don’t see him having any restrictions because of the damage. For the Celtics, solely Danilo Gallinari is on the damage listing as he rehabs from an ACL tear.
Possible Celtics Starters
Celtics Reserves
Malcolm Brogdon
Grant Williams
Sam Hauser
Payton Pritchard
Luke Kornet
Blake Griffin
Mike Muscala
Robert Williams III
2 Manner Gamers
JD Davison
Mfiondu Kabengele
Out/Accidents
Danilo Gallinari (ACL) out
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Possible 76ers Starters
Sixers Reserves
Dewayne Dedmon
Montrezl Harrell
Danuel Home, Jr
Furkan Korkmaz
Jalen McDaniels
De’Anthony Melton
Shake Milton
Georges Niang
Jaden Springer
2 Manner Gamers
Mac McClung
Louis King
Out/Accidents
Joel Embiid (knee) questionable
Head Coach
Doc Rivers
Key Matchups
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Al Horford
Picture by Patrick McDermott/Getty Pictures
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Joel Embiid
Picture by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Pictures
Al Horford vs Joel Embiid
After lacking the primary recreation, Embiid has improved with every recreation he has performed. In Recreation 3, he completed with 30 factors, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 4 blocks in nearly 40 minutes and in Recreation 4, he completed with 34 factors, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal in 46 minutes. In Recreation 5, he had 33 factors, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 blocks. He shot 43.5% from the sphere and 42.9% from past the arc. The Celtics have to make issues tough for him as he could be a distinction maker if he’s allowed to realize confidence. The Celtics additionally want Al Horford to play higher on this recreation. He was 0-7 in Recreation 6 and struggled on each ends of the court docket.
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Marcus Sensible
Picture by Maddie Meyer/Getty Pictures
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James Harden
Picture by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Pictures
Marcus Sensible vs James Harden
James Harden has been up and down on this collection. In Recreation 1, Harden took over the sport and completed with 45 factors, 1 rebound, 6 assists and a pair of steals. He shot 56.7% from the sphere and 50% from past the arc. In Recreation 2, he completed with 12 factors, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists. He shot simply 14.3% from the sphere and missed all 6 of his 3 pointers. Then in Recreation 3, he completed with 16 factors, 6 rebounds, 11 assists and 1 steal. He shot simply 21.4% from the sphere and 28.6% from past the arc. Jaylen Brown was the principle defender on him in Video games 2 and three and I wouldn’t be shocked to see this pairing once more on this recreation.
Honorable Point out
Derrick White vs Tyrese Maxey
In Recreation 1, Maxey completed with 26 factors, 1 rebound 2 assists and 4 steals. He shot 41.7% from the sphere however simply 22.2% from past the arc. Then he struggled in Video games 2, 3 and 4 however he got here up large in Recreation 5 with 30 factors, 7 rebounds and three assists. He shot 47.6% from the sphere and 50% from past the arc. The Celtics have to play him powerful on this recreation and restrict his scoring as soon as once more as if he beneficial properties confidence, he can have one other large recreation.
Keys to the Recreation
Protection – Protection will all the time be key to profitable each recreation, particularly within the playoffs. The Celtics misplaced Recreation 1 as a result of they did not play protection. They received Video games 2 and three as a result of they restricted the 76ers with smothering protection. The Celtics made it to the Finals final season on the power of their protection however that protection has been lacking for a lot of this season. They lastly rediscovered their defensive identification in Video games 2 and three however then slacked off and allowed the 76ers to get just about any shot they needed in Video games 4 and 5. Philadelphia shot 50.6% from the sphere and 40% from past the arc in Recreation 5. The Celtics should make protection their precedence for each possession of the sport as a result of that’s how they’ll win.
Rebound – Rebounding is second to protection as a key to profitable. It takes effort to get rebounds and the Celtics should go all out of their effort to beat the Sixers on the boards. The Celtics have to hold the Sixers, who’re 4th within the playoffs with 16.1 second likelihood factors, from getting additional factors across the basket and they should give themselves additional possessions by rebounding on the offensive finish. The 76ers out-rebounded the Celtics 49-36 in Recreation 5 and the Celtics can’t permit them to out work them on the boards on this recreation. If the Celtics wish to win this one, it’s essential that they go all out to crash the boards.
Make Changes – Perhaps it’s time for Joe Mazzulla to return to the double large lineup. Al Horford and Robert Williams have performed simply 7 minutes collectively within the playoffs. Within the common season, they performed 332 minutes collectively and the Celtics outscored their opponents by 15.9 factors per 100 possessions throughout these minutes. Derrick White has been struggling and perhaps bringing him of the bench may soar begin his recreation as nicely. Even when Rob doesn’t begin, enjoying him with Al extra could yield good outcomes. Additionally, Mazzulla wants to regulate the protection to cease Philly’s decide and rolls. In Recreation 5, Harden and Maxey ran 53 decide and rolls that resulted in 61 factors. The largest adjustment that must be made is in angle and sense of urgency.
Depth and Effort – In Recreation 1, the Celtics lacked each depth and energy. They allowed the 76ers to play tougher than them. The Celtics have been hitting pictures -58.6% from the sphere, however they slacked off on protection and the 76ers performed with rather more effort on protection. In Video games 2 and three, they flipped the change and got here out able to play powerful protection and to place out extra effort than the 76ers. They’ve to come back into this recreation with the identical mindset that they’d within the final two video games and be aggressive and play with most effort.
Keep Centered – The Celtics want to remain targeted on enjoying the sport the fitting manner. The Celtics have to remain targeted on taking and making good pictures and that features going to the basket if their 3’s aren’t falling. The Celtics shot simply 39.8% from the sphere and 31.6% from past the arc in Recreation 5. They should be targeted on making the additional move to seek out the open man and the perfect shot. They should be targeted on making crisp passes and never turning the ball over. The Celtics should hold their concentrate on enjoying arduous and on enjoying the fitting manner. They need to keep targeted on their defensive assignments and never permit the 76ers simple baskets.
X-Components
Teaching – Former Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who’s in his third yr because the Sixers coach, is among the high 15 coaches in NBA historical past. Joe Mazzulla is in his first season as a head coach, having been given the job only a couple weeks earlier than the season. Doc has been criticized for his incapacity to get his groups out of the second spherical however he out-coached Joe Mazzulla in all however Video games 2 and three. Doc will probably as soon as once more make changes going into this recreation and Mazzulla will should be able to match these and make some changes of his personal.
Shut Out Recreation on the Highway – Shut out video games are the hardest video games to win. The crew that’s down often is available in and performs like a wounded animal whereas the crew that’s up tends to calm down just a little as a result of they’ve the higher hand. The Celtics have to play like Marcus Sensible described and depart every part on the court docket. They should play with most effort, particularly on the defensive finish. The Celtics are on the highway for this one and so must overcome the distractions of journey and enjoying in entrance of a really hostile crowd.
Officiating – Officiating is all the time an x-factor. Each crew calls the sport in another way. Some name it tight and name each little bit of contact whereas others permit extra bodily play. Within the playoffs up to now they’ve been permitting extra bodily play. Some favor the house crew whereas others name each side evenly. The Celtics have to regulate to the way in which the refs are calling the sport and never permit the no calls and dangerous calls to have an effect on their concentrate on enjoying the sport. They particularly have to hold their poise and never complain to the refs on each name.
