2023-05-01 02:28:02
BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics successfully responded to a challenge posed by an inspired Atlanta Hawks team in a six-game series in the opening round of the NBA playoffs.
The Philadelphia 76ers breezed past the Brooklyn Nets in a first-round sweep, but didn’t come out of it before MVP finalist Joel Embiid sprained his right knee and missed the final game. from the series.
Now the franchises that have met in the postseason more times than any of the other teams will renew their long-running rivalry in the Eastern Conference semifinals starting Monday.
Boston has won the last five playoff series between them. The most recent was a first-round sweep of the 2020 postseason inside the Florida bubble. The most recent era of matchups has put team history into perspective for a new generation.
“I’ve learned more about the Celtics-76ers rivalry over time,” Boston All-Star Jaylen Brown said. “Watching the Bill Russell series on Netflix, I was able to watch him and Wilt Chamberlain with his rivalry at the time…Bill and Wilt used to play each other and people liked to go to those games and find out how the rivalry was born.
“Just learning that history gave me more foresight about today,” he added.
Brown is one of the stars of the current renewal, averaging 26.7 points per game in the first round, trailing only fellow All-Star Jayson Tatum’s 27.2.
76ers coach Doc Rivers said Boston’s stars represent the tip of a roster loaded with talent from both sides of the court and experience.
“They have already been to the Finals. They get it,” Rivers said. “They have faced all kinds of adversity. There is nothing that can shake them and we have to be prepared for it”.
One advantage Embiid and the 76ers have, thanks to the extended Boston series, was recovery time after clinching the sweep of the Nets more than a week ago.
Embiid was seen going through a series of exercises after Philadelphia’s practice on Sunday and “continues to improve,” according to Rivers. But his condition remains in question, the coach shared with reporters. Embiid averaged 20 points and 11.3 rebounds in his three games this postseason.
“We were hoping that (the time off) would be enough for the big guy to come back and be ready for Game 1,” James Harden said. “But a little bit of adversity, just to be ready to go out there and play well in the first game, get off to a good start and give them a tough four-quarter battle.”
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said his preparation hasn’t changed even with the question about Embiid’s condition:
“It doesn’t (change) the game plan much, at least with the understanding of who they are when he’s not in a game. That could be for 10 minutes, or it could be 48. It doesn’t matter. They have a clear identity and each player will elevate who they are when he’s not on the court. So we’ll have to be ready for it.”
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