The Sixers and Celtics saw each other four times this season. Doesn’t mean much now.
As Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer noted, three of those games came early. The last one was March 1, just before Jayson Tatum returned from his Achilles injury.
Different teams then. Different teams now. And one big absence. Paul George didn’t play in any of those matchups. That changes things.
Coach Nick Nurse made it clear George will have a major role in trying to slow down Tatum and Jaylen Brown when the series opens Sunday.
George has looked the part, too. Since returning from suspension, he’s averaging 21 points and shooting 41.5 percent from three.
Underdog talk? He’s not really hearing it.
“That sounds like a little bulletin board material,” George said. “We’re not going to back down. They’re not going to back down.”
Numbers to Watch
Boston has the edge in two key areas.
First, the three-point line. The Celtics are near the top of the league in both makes and percentage. The Sixers are near the bottom. Second, the glass.
That showed up in a big way March 1. Boston grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and turned them into 30 second-chance points.
“I think that’s going to be the game,” said Dominick Barlow. “We lost because we didn’t rebound.”
Backcourt Pressure
If the Sixers are going to hang in this series, it starts with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. That’s the take from Tony Jones of The Athletic, and it tracks.
Maxey, especially, sounds ready for the moment after last season didn’t go as planned.
“Being in the playoffs means everything,” he said. “I didn’t want to have that feeling again.”
Now he gets his shot.
Embiid Factor
And then there’s Joel Embiid. Or maybe not.
His status remains uncertain as he recovers from an appendectomy. Nurse isn’t looking beyond Game 1.
“I know he’s not playing in that one,” Nurse said. “We’re just zeroed in on trying to get ready to battle.”
So that’s where it stands. The Sixers have some answers. They have some questions. And they’re walking into a series where the margins are pretty clear.
Rebounding. Shooting. Star power. Handle those, and maybe it’s a fight. Don’t, and it could get away from them quick.
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