Getty P.J. Tucker and Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers
There’s a strong possibility that Joel Embiid may not play with the Philadelphia 76ers when they take on the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Though the Sixers have managed well without Embiid – going 11-5 this season in his absence – PJ Tucker believes it’s all irrelevant when going into the playoffs.
“I mean, we can talk about like taking stuff from games and all, it don’t work like that,” Tucker said, per Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire. “You just gotta play. We’ll figure out what we’re gonna do against this team and our game plan, and I think it’ll change up from game to game trying to figure out how we’re gonna play. Who’s playing, who’s available, who’s not, but we just got to be ready to play. That’s it.”
Tucker said that no matter who plays, they have to be ready to play at their best.
“Each and every night,” Tucker added. “Everybody, whoever’s available, ready to go out there, and give it all.”
With Embiid likely out, the Sixers will likely turn to Paul Reed to fill in as their starting center like they did when the Sixers took on the Brooklyn Nets in Game 4 of the first round.
Tobias Harris Singles Out Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown
While talking with Carlin, Sixers starter Tobias Harris singled out Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown
“Just guarding all their guys,” Harris said. “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 Sixers have faced the Celtics in the playoffs twice since Tatum and Brown arrived. The Celtics won both times – 2018 and 2020 – with Harris on the team in 2020. Harris also singled out some of the other Celtics who play well.
“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.”
Harris played with Horford during the 2019-20 season before the latter was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2020 offseason.
Tyrese Maxey Sounds Off on Struggles vs. Celtics
Before it was confirmed that the Sixers would be the Celtics’ next playoff opponent, Tyrese Maxey talked about why he has struggled against the Sixers’ division rival this season.
“The.. two games in the middle of the season that was kind of mental stuff,” he told reporters, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “That last game, I think I hurt my back messing with [P.J. Tucker] getting a rebound.”
Against the Celtics, Maxey averaged 10 points a game while shooting 35.4% from the field and 21.4% from three in four games. Maxey added that his mindset against Boston is not about him, but about winning, period.
“But I mean, the ultimate goal, it’s not about me. It’s about winning. So it’s like what can we do to stop either Atlanta or Boston as many times as we can, so at the end of the game when there’s zeroes across the board have more points that they do.”