The Philadelphia 76ers enter Friday night in dire straits. They are trailing the explosive Boston Celtics 0-2 and it seems like things are dim and gloomy after a blowout Game 2 loss. They don’t even have the luxury of having to return to the Wells Fargo Center where they were a dominant team in the 2019-20 season. They have to find a way to get a win in a neutral site.
The Celtics are in the driver’s seat as they are led by a trio of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kemba Walker as they have been wreaking havoc on the Sixers and their defense. Tatum is averaging 32.5 points in this series and he is shooting 10-for-17 from deep through the first two games. For Philadelphia to have a shot, they need to get defensive.
With that being said, let’s get into the preview for this one:
How to watch Sixers vs. Celtics
- Date: Friday, August 21
- 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) QUESTIONABLE: Javonte Green (right knee sprain)
Storylines
Sixers leaning on Embiid to lead
For the Sixers to have any shot on offense, they will need Joel Embiid to have a big game on a consistent basis. He has done so thus far as he is averaging 30 points and 13 rebounds through the first two of the season, but he also has to be the leader for this team. Coach Brett Brown says the Sixers don’t have a guy who will kick chairs or yell and scream, but Embiid can lead by example.
“There’s nobody in that locker room that is a kick a chair, swing at your towel, flip a desk type of guy,” said Brown.
“That’s not a bad thing, we’re all wired differently. Joel’s going to have his way where he can reinforce the point that I just said. Lots of times with Joel (Embiid), it comes from on-court performance.”
Keeping the belief that the Sixers can win
The biggest thing on Brown’s mind is keeping the team focused on the task at hand. They may be down 0-2 right now, but that does not mean the series is over. Philadelphia has to continue to have a belief that they can get one win which could lead to another win and they’d be back in the series. It’s all about having that togetherness and having confidence.
“You make sure you hold the spirit of a locker room,” said Brown. “You make sure that the group understands there’s enough character and there’s enough talent in the room to regroup. If we’re playing it like it’s normal, you’d be going back to Philadelphia and they did what they should have and the message is some level of belief. What I said I mean. I think there is enough character and there’s enough talent in the room to respond.”
Prediction
There is not much that suggests the Sixers can come back and win this series. Embiid has been terrific and Matisse Thybulle and Josh Richardson have not been as bad defensively as the numbers suggest, but the Celtics are just too much on offense and Philadelphia does not have the horses to matchup right now. Especially with Tobias Harris and Al Horford contributing very little in this series.
Pick: Celtics in a close one despite the Sixers technically being the “home” team
Sixers vs. Celtics Round 1 series
Game 1 August 17: 109-101 Celtics
Game 2 August 19: 128-101 Celtics
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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