The Philadelphia 76ers have to keep their focus on the Brooklyn Nets as they begin their playoffs on Saturday with Game 1 of their first-round series.
However, considering the Sixers are the more talented and experienced team, this series with their division rivals seems likely to be an easy win for Philadelphia as long as it handles business.
The real challenge comes in the Eastern Conference semifinals, in which they will likely meet the Boston Celtics. The Celtics have eliminated the Sixers from the playoffs in the Joel Embiid era twice: 2018 and 2020. When looking ahead, that potential series appears to be when the Sixers will be challenged the most.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith hopped on “First Take” to discuss Philadelphia’s chances against either the Celtics or the Milwaukee Bucks in the playoffs:
When I look at the Sixers, I think Boston has their number. I just don’t believe the Sixers would beat Boston. They’d have a chance against Milwaukee. I just watch their styles and I’m just saying of course, you’d have to have (Tyrese) Maxey and (James) Harden step up, but I remember when the Sixers were down and they came back and they beat Milwaukee on the road a few weeks ago. I’m just looking at them and I’m like, with Embiid against Giannis and what that would peel from Embiid to know that he’s got that encounter. That he has to deal with and he’ll rise to that occasion. I’m not saying they would beat Milwaukee. I would give them a better chance against Milwaukee than Boston. For some reason, it don’t matter what, Boston always seems to have the number. It took the 52 from Embiid for them to squeeze by Boston in the last game and Jaylen Brown didn’t play that game. I just look at it from that perspective and I just say, Boston has the number. I give them a much, much, much smaller chance against Boston than against Milwaukee.
It’s hard to disagree with Smith in this instance. Boston took three out of four with Philadelphia during the regular season and the Cs weren’t even healthy for all of them. The biggest example was on Feb. 8 when the Celtics entered down three starters, lost a fourth in the second quarter and still knocked off the Sixers that night.
It will be a tall task for the Sixers if that is the semifinals matchup in the Eastern Conference.
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