The Boston Celtics head into Game 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers with a 3-2 series lead. As far as the Celtics are concerned, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been driving the bus offensively this series. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but the team needs more from everyone to survive a desperate 76ers squad.
The 76ers are going to be playing like a desperate team, and the Celtics can’t let them build up momentum over the course of the game. The Celtics must keep their eyes on their current opponent, not on who they might face in the next round of the NBA playoffs(namely, the New York Knicks or the Atlanta Hawks).
Here is a brief assessment of the offensive weapons the 76ers possess, an offensive adjustment the Celtics can make, and some Game 6 predictions.
Celtics Need More From Everyone To Defend Against 76ers’ Multiple Weapons
As previously stated, the Celtics are primarily a two-man show between Tatum and Brown. Outside of those two, only Payton Pritchard has averaged double-digits in points during the postseason.
The 76ers, on the other hand, have four double-digit point scorers in Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and VJ Edgecomb. Embiid, in particular, has been a force for Philly.
The 7-foot center-forward has averaged 29.5 points, seven assists, seven rebounds, 0.5 steals, and one block per game this series.
Game 5 saw the 76ers draw vital performances from many players to keep their season alive. Quentin Grimes netted 18 points and was 57.1 percent successful in throwing threes. Maxey recorded an impressive double-double in the form of 25 points and 10 defensive rebounds, in addition to five assists and two steals.
George collected 16 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and two steals.
Celtics Must Be the More Desperate Team
To close out this series, the Celtics must band together and play unstoppable offense alongside impenetrable defense.
With the ball, they can make some adjustments. They need to get Baylor Scheierman more time on the court and get him to throw more threes. Of the Celtics players to average at least 10 minutes a game, he has the best three-pointer percentage, so use that.
Including Scheierman more on the offensive side can benefit them in multiple ways. For starters, the 76ers’ defense of Brown and Tatum will need to stick to their man or ditch the assignment to cover Scheierman. That either opens Brown and Tatum up to receive passes or leaves Scheierman alone to drain threes.
Defensively, they have been dominant on rebounds. Now, they need to up that to 11 and not allow the 76ers to get any momentum off the boards.
Celtics vs 76ers: Predictions For Game 6
Heavy Predictions: 76ers force Game 7 on the backs of four double-digit performances.
ClutchPoints expects at least one of Brown or Tatum to come through with a game-breaking performance in Game 6.
“The Celtics look to Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum for leadership, and neither player came through with a top effort in Game 5,” the outlet writes. “Expect at least one of the dynamic duo — and possibly both — to come through with a much sharper performance in Game 6.”
Additionally, Sports Illustrated has noted that the Celtics have been successful as the road team in the last several postseasons.
“The Sixers are underdogs at home in Game 6,” Peter Dewey writes. “And it’s worth noting that Boston has been a better road team over the last five postseasons than a home team. However, the C’s success in this series has been directly related to their ability to shoot from beyond the arc.”
If the Celtics can’t close out the 76ers tonight, they lose significant momentum and put their entire season at risk.
Tonight’s game will be broadcast at 8:00 PM Eastern Time. With everything that is on the line for both teams, this should be an entertaining game.
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