Inside The Celtics

Here's What We Know About the Celtics-Sixers Second-Round Schedule

The Celtics won their regular-season series against the Sixers 3-1.

Bobby Krivitsky

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
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The Celtics won their regular-season series against the Sixers 3-1. That lone loss came in Philadelphia in the final matchup as Joel Embiid feasted on a vanilla defensive game plan, scoring 52 points against a Boston team without Jaylen Brown and Robert Williams and all but locked into the second seed in the Eastern Conference.

As detailed in a film study earlier in the campaign, the Celtics typically do a far better job defending the Sixers' star center.

And while the playoffs are a different beast compared to the regular season, with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the way, Boston's consistently proven an unfavorable matchup for Philadelphia.

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David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Wings have more of an impact in today's NBA than any other position, and with Embiid doing most of his damage inside the arc and the Celtics often doing well limiting his trips to the free-throw line, the math favors the defending Eastern Conference champions.

There's also the concern that Embiid's dealing with a right knee sprain that could keep him out of at least the series opener. And James Harden, who missed time late in the regular season due to an Achilles injury, still looks hampered by that affliction.

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Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Tyrese Maxey's ascension will help the Sixers as they try to knock off their division rivals, and perhaps Embiid and Harden prove healthy enough for them to accomplish that.

After all, Boston's Game 5 collapse against the Hawks added mileage on the Celtics' tires and bought Embiid more time.

But while Game 6 in Atlanta was a slugfest, the defending Eastern Conference champions ended Thursday's matchup on an 18-7 run, earning a 128-120 victory, improving to 23-1 when Tatum and Brown score at least 30 points each.

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Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Boston's Game 6 win sets the stage for the next chapter of one of the NBA's all-time great rivalries.

The second-round series between the Celtics and Sixers starts Monday at TD Garden; Game 1 tips off at 7:30 p.m. EST.

Here's the rest of the series schedule.

Further Reading

Celtics Discuss Difference-Maker in Game 6 vs. Hawks: 'In the Playoffs, You've Got Basketball, You've Got Execution, And Then You've Got This Like Fight That's Kind of Going On'

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 6 Win vs. Hawks: Boston Delivers Late Haymaker, are on to a Date with the Sixers

Jayson Tatum Shares His Perspective on Bucks' First-Round Exit

Film Room: Roots of Celtics' Game 5 Fourth Quarter Collapse

Celtics Share Their Perspective on Game 5 Collapse: 'You Give a Team Life, You Leave It Up to Chance'

Celtics Praise Robert Williams for Impact in What They Deemed a Must-Win Game 4: 'Can't Even Give Words to What Rob Does on Our Team'

Jayson Tatum on Celtics' Maintaining a Must-Win Mindset: 'We're Trying Not to Make it Tougher on Ourselves'

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 4 Win vs. Hawks: Jaylen Brown's 22 Second-Half Points Propels Boston to 3-1 Series Lead

[Film Room] Derrick White's Assertiveness Leads to 26 Points, MVP Chants as Celtics Take 2-0 Lead

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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