3 issues to look at in Celtics-76ers Game 3

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The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers have a wealthy postseason historical past and, for many years, stood as one of many league’s unique rivalries. It was one with epic performances and finishes, particularly within the Eighties, when their playoff sequence typically despatched the eventual NBA champion to the NBA Finals.

Fast ahead to at the moment, and there’s a scent of a rivalry brewing once more, if solely as a result of their first-round sequence is tied at one sport every and suspense has entered the constructing.

The Sixers have the subsequent two video games in Philly and may have an emotional enhance. Expect all of the old-time legends (like Allen Iverson and Julius Erving) to sit down courtside and supply motivation.

However, Iverson and Erving can’t swimsuit up and play for the Sixers. It’s as much as the present gamers missing in championship expertise to maintain the sequence shifting in a optimistic route. That gained’t be a easy process towards a group that’s more healthy, bringing larger expectations and championship mettle with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Whether this sequence elevates when it comes to intrigue and depth, due to this fact, falls on the shoulders of the Sixers and whether or not they can both keep the house court docket or at the least break up the subsequent two video games.

Here’s what to look at for Game 3 tonight (7 ET, Prime Video) in Philadelphia:

1. What is Maxey’s mindset?

The following assertion is to be taken in context and isn’t meant to supply a comparability. Now that it’s understood, right here it goes — the final time the Sixers had been led within the playoffs by a quicksilver level guard who precipitated whiplash and broke ankles and was powerful to include was Iverson.

The newest drawback for different groups is Tyrese Maxey, who can shift gears off the dribble and alter instructions on a dime and rating on anybody the Celtics supply up in protection. Sometimes two Celtics.

How Maxey craves the ball in massive moments is one thing to behold. He was at all times a taking pictures guard trapped in a degree guard’s physique, though in his case, that’s not such a foul factor. If Maxey has the desire, the Sixers may discover a solution to win greater than a sport towards Boston, and Maxey positively has the desire.

The playoffs have a method of exposing you for the participant you really are, with each sport and sometimes each possession magnified together with the calls for. Some gamers gravitate towards this, whereas others regress.

Maxey’s taking pictures hasn’t at all times been sharp on this sequence, however he doesn’t permit the misses to discourage him. As the Sixers proceed with out Joel Embiid, Maxey can’t afford to lose confidence.

2. Embiid’s standing for Game 3

The elephant within the room, metaphorically talking, after all, is the previous Kia MVP and Sixers beginning heart. He can change a complete sport or perhaps even a best-of-seven sequence, however is presently inactive due to harm. The id of that individual isn’t very exhausting to know.

This has been Embiid’s profession, for probably the most half. His video games performed and video games missed, if positioned on reverse ends of a scale, would present a fair steadiness. This season, he performed simply 38 video games.

But the longer the Sixers stretch this sequence, the extra the chance — nothing sure, however nonetheless — that Embiid, upgraded as uncertain for Game 3, may heal up in time to see motion.

The final thing the Sixers will do is rush their massive man again from an emergency appendectomy, which he suffered on April 9. He has entered the subsequent part of his rehab, however hasn’t completed any contact drills. That means it’s secure to imagine he’s extra probably to not play than to play, which suggests extra Adem Bona and Andre Drummond within the submit.

But Sixers followers can dream. If by some means this sequence is more durable than anybody imagined and Embiid, who averaged 26.9 factors and seven.7 rebounds per sport, finds a solution to swimsuit up…properly, let’s simply pencil that in for the occasion of the whole playoffs.

3. Brown able to take over?

The one fixed for the Celtics, not solely on this sequence however all season, is Jaylen Brown and his excessive degree of efficiency. He’s averaging 31 ppg within the playoffs and is the one Celtics participant hitting his 3-pointers (at 50%). All this comes on the heels of a Kia MVP-flavored common season the place he carried the Celtics for stretches and completed among the many league’s high scorers and rebounding guards.

His subsequent journey, if it turns into essential, is to hold the Celtics by this sequence, particularly if the 3-pointers don’t fall for his teammates and the Sixers by some means get juiced by two dwelling video games.

Speaking of the house court docket, the Celtics are usually not pushovers on the highway. Only Detroit, San Antonio and Oklahoma City had been higher in hostile arenas. And once more, this was with out Tatum for probably the most half.

Brown enjoys being one of many league’s high gamers, an ascent that started together with his efficiency within the 2024 NBA Finals, and he intends to maintain his place in line. The greatest method is to be the best participant on the ground, beginning with this sequence.

In that sense, to this point anyway, it’s Brown vs. Maxey. Who would be the final participant standing on the finish?

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Shaun Powell has coated the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at [email protected], discover his archive right here and follow him on X.