With Game 1 between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics scheduled to take place on May 1, Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown talked about the challenge ahead going up against their division rival.
“Tough battles, tough matchups,” Tatum said, per Justin Grasso of Sports Illustrated. “Obviously, that’s a great team with supposed to be, probably gonna be the MVP, Embiid. Looking forward to it. This is what the playoffs are about — the best teams and the best players going head up.”
Brown talked about how hard it is to win in Philadelphia, believing that the matchup should prove to be a good test.
“We know they’re gonna bring the fight,” Brown said. “Philly is a tough environment to win. Their crowd gets involved in the game. It’s gonna be fun. We already know they got some great players in Joel Embiid, James Harden, and company. It’s gonna be another test again. We’re going to have to be ready to fight again, and I’m up for it. I can’t wait.”
Since the duo of Brown and Tatum formed in 2017, they’ve faced the Sixers twice in the playoffs, in 2018 and 2020, and have come up victorious both times.
Tobias Harris Singles Out Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown
While talking about what it will take for the Sixers to stop the Celtics, he said it starts with stopping their two all-stars.
“Just guarding all their guys,” Harris told Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire. “Obviously, the two-headed snake is Tatum and Brown, but then also it’s the other guys who come out and have over-average nights, right? And those guys are playing well.”
The “other guys” Harris was talking about included a former Sixers teammate, among others.
“Guys like Derrick White, Al Horford, Marcus Smart,” he said. “Obviously, you got to stop the top two, but outside of that, we got to be able to maintain and make those other guys’ lives hard, too.”
Horford and Harris played together on the Sixers during the 2019-20 season. Horford played for the Celtics from 2016 to 2019 before joining the Sixers, then found his way back to the Celtics the year after the Sixers traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Joel Embiid’s Knee Injury Considered More Serious
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that Joel Embiid’s knee injury could be more troublesome than initially reported.
“The knee injury 76ers star Joel Embiid suffered April 20 is considered to be more serious than a Grade 1 LCL sprain. He is currently doubtful for Game 1 vs. Boston,” Charania tweeted.
Sources: The knee injury 76ers star Joel Embiid suffered April 20 is considered to be more serious than a Grade 1 LCL sprain. He is currently doubtful for Game 1 vs. Boston.
Charania added that the situations will depend on how Embiid deals with the pain.
“As Embiid’s history of playing through injuries and pain shows, it can be fluid depending on his progress. He has been able to do some individual spot-up shooting the past several days and will be evaluated daily.”
Charania reported earlier on April 29 that Sixers head coach Doc Rivers deemed Embiid as doubtful for Game 1.
76ers’ Joel Embiid is doubtful for Game 1 vs. Celtics, Doc Rivers says.
If Embiid’s pain continues, he may miss more than just the series opener, but there will be more updates as the series goes on.
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Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown Open Up on Sixers Ahead of Playoff Battle