rookie Joe Mazzulla snagging a third-place finish in Coach of the Year balloting. They got to this showdown from dramatically different points on the coaching spectrum, with Doc Rivers ninth (1,097) on the all-time victories list vs. That’s not the secondary scorer the Sixers sought or need. He went from 6.2 trips to the foul line during the season to 2.8. But his 4-for-17 at the rim in the series was the real reveal. How much does The Beard have left in his tank, and can he dominate offensively when Embiid is off the floor? He took 67 shots for 69 points in the opening round against Brooklyn and after a 7-for-13 night from deep in Game 1, Harden shot 7-for-20 over the final three games. Eight Celtics averaged double figures, led by wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who will stress less-athletic Philadelphia defenders such as Tucker, Tobias Harris, Jalen McDaniels or De’Anthony Melton. Is Philadelphia’s defense up to this task? The Sixers ranked eighth overall (112.7) in defensive rating this season, but struggled at 119.1 and a net rating of minus-4.9 in the four games against Boston. The Sixers will need an aggressive James Harden in their series against the Celtics. Not that either of these teams needed extra incentive, given the history and the stakes. There’s a bonus waiting for the winner: No Milwaukee, the anticipated but now absent East power, to face from the bracket’s other side. The Sixers are on a mission and Embiid, however hobbled by a knee sprain, has a likely Kia MVP honor to justify. ![]() The Sixers’ lone victory in April required 52 points from Joel Embiid on a night when neither Jaylen Brown nor Robert Williams III played. Head to head, this series almost has been played, with Boston taking the first three of four meetings in the regular season. ![]() Tucker told his guys, “We’ve been playing all year knowing this is what the end result is going to be … this is our season.” The Sixers swept their way through the Nets. ![]() The Celtics needed a game or two more than many of us expected to dispatch Atlanta, but they got here. The Eastern Conference has its main event in this one - heeding the seeding, no underdog playing its way up from a lower berth. Joel Embiid cashed in 52 points in the Sixers’ only win against the Celtics this season.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |