CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers return home in the Eastern Conference semifinal against the Boston Celtics with a 1-1 split. They earned an impressive Game 1 win thanks to the heroics of James Harden, but they had a tough night in Game 2 in the return of Joel Embiid from injury.
The Celtics shot 20-for-51 from deep compared to just 6-for-30 for Philadelphia and Boston was the more physical team. Boston’s guards were pressured Harden, Tyrese Maxey and others all night, and the Sixers couldn’t get into any sets.
The issues are correctable and they own home-court advantage, so the Sixers are in a very good spot with this series shifting to South Philly. As the team returned to work on Thursday, coach Doc Rivers listed what went wrong in his eyes, and he’s confident the Sixers will bounce back.