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The Philadelphia 76ers are in the middle of an uphill battle against the Boston Celtics in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs and they have their backs against the wall already. After losing Game 1 of this series on Monday, they cannot afford to go down 0-2 especially since there is no home-court right now. They don’t have the comfort of going back to Wells Fargo Center for Game 3 and having their crowd there.
The Celtics were able to use their young scoring duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to come up with the win on Monday, but they will need more out of them and Kemba Walker now with Gordon Hayward out for this series. That could swing things a little bit in Philadelphia’s favor, but it won’t matter if they don’t clean up their issues.
With that being said, let’s get into the preview:
How to watch Sixers vs. Celtics
- Date: Wednesday, August 19
- Time: 6:30 p.m. EST
- Location: The Field House Orlando, FL
- TV: TNT, NBC Sports Philadelphia+
Injury Report
- Sixers: OUT: Ben Simmons (left knee surgery), Glenn Robinson III (oblique muscle strain)
- Celtics: OUT: Gordon Hayward (right ankle sprain) PROBABLE: Jaylen Brown (right thigh contusion)
Storylines
Embiid getting aggressive
Joel Embiid had a final stat line of 26 points and 16 rebounds in Game 1, but he only finished with 15 field goal attempts. For Philadelphia to have a shot at winning in this series, they will need him to take more shot attempts and they will need him to be dominant and aggressive. That is something the big fella is ready for in Game 2.
“I got to be more aggressive,” the big man added. “Maybe call some more plays, but that’s another thing we got to fix going into Game 2. Like I said, I just got to be assertive and aggressive and let the game come to me.”
Keeping confidence
In the NBA Playoffs, there are so many ups and downs that no team can truly get too high or get too low. For the Sixers, they cannot afford to get too low in this series especially without Ben Simmons so it is important now more than ever that they keep their heads high and get ready for Game 2.
“It’s the playoffs and at the end of the day, we all as competitors hate to lose,” said Tobias Harris at practice on Tuesday. “From last night up to this morning, it’s a sour taste, but at the same time we know the opportunity ahead and this league is all about confidence so you can’t hang your head for too long. You’ve got to be able to get right back up, keep your confidence high, keep your mind right, and just be ready to get better out there.”
Prediction
The Game 1 loss had an all too familiar script to it for the Sixers. Too many turnovers and a lot of mental mistakes that cost them the game. It is time for them to grow up and step up to this challenge and one would think they would be motivated after a tough Game 1 loss. One can also expect a motivated Embiid to come out and lead the way early and often. Without Hayward, Boston’s depth will be tested and one can see the Sixers bouncing back.
Pick: Sixers even the series
Sixers vs. Celtics Round 1 series
Game 1 August 17: 109-101 Celtics
Game 2 August 19:
Game 3 August 21:
Game 4 August 23:
Game 5 August 25: (if needed)
Game 6 August 27: (if needed)
Game 7: August 29: (if needed)
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