Celtics vs. Sixers: 3 things to watch

We’re virtually on the end line. In beneath per week, the NBA season can be over, and we can be making ready for the playoffs; deep diving the opponent, making an attempt to guestimate the place the benefits can be with every lineup or rotation, determining how every coach will give themselves an edge over the opposite.

Better of all, we can have these ‘new season’ vibes. Those the place every little thing is feasible, from making a championship run to laying a goose egg within the first spherical and seeing a collection grumble on for extra video games than it ought to. Both means, the journey goes to be a enjoyable one, however proper now, at this second, there’s nonetheless some regular-season enterprise to maintain.

On Tuesday evening, the Boston Celtics will go toe-to-toe with the Philadelphia 76ers. One win within the subsequent 4 video games will be sure that Boston ends the season no decrease than 2nd within the Japanese Convention, and for many Celtics followers, having the chance to do this in opposition to the Sixers is each excellent and poetic.

After all, the Sixers received’t simply roll over and permit the Celtics to safe one more victory over them, particularly one which additionally has seeding implications. But, as we’ve seen so usually with this workforce, Boston raises their recreation when confronted with vital contests, taking their play to a brand new stage on each ends — hopefully, they accomplish that once more, but it surely all begins with taking good care of enterprise and profitable the little battles that pop up all through the course of a recreation.

Listed below are three issues to observe.

Retaining Embiid away from his spots

In latest weeks, the Celtics have handled the hand-off risk of Domantas Sabonis, the bully-ball type of Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the inside-out recreation of Myles Turner. The Celtics received every of these video games.

Whereas defending completely different gamers will at all times entail a special recreation plan, one factor remained true all through these three contests — the Celtics discovered methods to maintain every of them away from their spots. Not too long ago, Boston has adopted a Miami Heat-style pinching protection, with two assist defenders stunting on the ball because it enters the lane or publish. Neither helper is over-committing, however for a second, house is taken away and stress has been utilized, usually forcing a pick-up.

Moreover, Joe Mazzulla isn’t afraid to belief his smaller gamers to protect an opposing large, as he seems to be to stifle their capacity within the publish and power a face-up, the place Boston’s size turns into an element.

Joel Embiid is an elite large man, arguably essentially the most gifted heart within the NBA proper now, and has a various skillset when trying to rating the ball. But, if the Celtics can suffocate him across the mid-post, stifle him on the block, and frustrate him all through the sport, likelihood is, they may discover a means of minimizing his impression. Let’s additionally do not forget that Al Horford is a tricky matchup for Embiid, and Boston does have a monitor file of getting beneath the imposing large man’s pores and skin.

Rim Stress

The Sixers boast top-of-the-line perimeter defenses within the NBA, rating fourth for three-point protection by holding their opponents to 35.1% taking pictures from deep. Nevertheless, the identical can’t be stated for Philadelphia’s success in guarding the rim, with them permitting 68.4% of makes an attempt to fall, per Cleansing The Glass.

As such, it is smart for Boston to stay with a lineup that accentuates a five-out offense, the place Al Horford is manning the center, and Joel Embiid is compelled to step exterior of the paint. If Boston can create driving lanes, put Embiid or Tobias Harris into screening actions, after which blow by defenders to get to the cup, they are going to be taking a look at simple scoring alternatives all evening.

We is also taking a look at a drive-and-kick fest, the place the Celtics trigger panic and confusion with their drives earlier than producing open threes with well-timed passes, as they’ve for almost all of the season. So, if the Celtics follow their standard plan of hitting the paint and studying the protection earlier than making a choice, they need to be capable of unlock constant offense in opposition to a protection that has persistently struggled to impression pictures inside 4 ft of their basket.

Are we getting playoff Jayson Tatum?

After some well-documented struggles when coming back from the All-Star break, Jayson Tatum seems to be nearing his greatest, and that ought to be a worrying thought for the remainder of the NBA. In his final two video games, Tatum has scored 79 factors, grabbed 19 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists, but it’s his taking pictures accuracy which has been so spectacular, hitting 72.2% of his seems to be from three.

If Tatum continues that kind of scoring output, then Philadelphia can have a troublesome time coping with Boston’s offense, particularly in the event that they make a degree of relentlessly attacking the rim and drawing the Sixers’ drop protection exterior of the restricted space. Certain, each Tatum and Embiid have operated at an MVP stage for stretches this season, and each are able to placing their workforce on their again, however there’s one thing about Tatum when he’s cooking that fills you with concord.

I’m not saying the Celtics will win if Tatum balls out, however I’m saying that they’ve a better likelihood of dropping if he doesn’t, however that isn’t precisely a newsflash, is it?

Ultimate Ideas

No matter the consequence, the Celtics management their very own future so far as the second seed goes. One win in 4 ought to be greater than achievable, particularly once they’ve nonetheless received two video games in opposition to the Toronto Raptors and one in opposition to the Atlanta Hawks on their schedule.

Nonetheless, nothing would please me, and Celtics followers in every single place, than including one other win over the Sixers to Boston’s file, incomes the workforce some further momentum in what can be their final large recreation earlier than the playoffs get underway.

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