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Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia 76ers: C’s can’t let Joel Embiid dominate

By Max Bozicas

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 20: Marcus Smart #36 of the Boston Celtics pushes Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers to the ground in the third quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on March 20, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Celtics 118-115. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 20: Marcus Smart #36 of the Boston Celtics pushes Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers to the ground in the third quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on March 20, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Celtics 118-115. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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When the NBA playoffs commence, the Boston Celtics will square up against a very familiar opponent in the Philadelphia 76ers.

A whole four months after they were originally supposed to begin, the NBA playoffs are finally upon us. The Boston Celtics have established themselves as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, having secured the third seed.

The Celtics will take on the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. The Celtics and 76ers have developed a strong rivalry in recent years. While Boston has typically been on the winning side, the Celtics actually went 1-3 against the Sixers in the regular season.

That is not the glaring red flag you may think it is, especially with Philly’s star point guard Ben Simmons suffering a season ending knee injury. Simmons is the best playmaker on the 76ers and his absence will affect them immensely.

https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1197371558077108224

On the offensive end, the 76ers relied on Simmons to create open looks for his teammates, as they do not have anyone who is extremely proficient at creating space to get an open look on their own.

Boston Celtics must take advantage of Ben Simmons absence

Not only is Ben Simmons impactful offensively, but he is also one of Philly’s best defenders. He has the perfect combination of length to disrupt just about any shot and the instincts to force turnovers consistently.

Without Simmons on defense for the Sixers, the star wings on the Celtics should feast. It would not be surprising to see Jayson Tatum, Jalen Brown, and Gordon Hayward all make some serious noise in this series.

With Ben Simmons out, the Boston Celtics can turn their undivided attention to Joel Embiid. At 7’0, Embiid is the type of player who has given the Celtics problems in the past due to the lack of size on their roster.

Embiid averaged 21.3 PPG, 11.6 TRB, and 1.3 BLK in three games against the Celtics during the season, but only shot 39 percent from the floor overall in those outings.

If the Celtics can keep Embiid’s efficiency down, they should win this series handily. He is unequivocally the X factor for the Sixers, with or without Ben Simmons. The only way the Celtics could conceivably lose this series is if Embiid dominates as he is truly capable of, as he is the best player featured in this matchup.

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Regardless, it’s common knowledge that the Celtics are the deeper team. Kemba Walker is still knocking some rust off as he has been working through knee soreness, but Jayson Tatum, Jalen Brown, and Gordon Hayward have all been hitting their scoring stride since the NBA restarted.

Marcus Smart and Robert Williams provide the spark defensively, while Romeo Langford, Grant Williams, and Daniel Theis have all carved out significant roles for themselves as well. This team is primed and ready to make a deep playoff push.

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It’s been a very promising season for this young Boston Celtics roster, and it’s very exciting that they’ll soon be playing playoff basketball. Hopefully they keep the good times rolling as the stakes get higher.

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