The Philadelphia 76ers will be fighting for their postseason lives at home against the Boston Celtics in Game 6 on Thursday night.
With a win, the Sixers will extend their season and force a decisive Game 7 back in Boston on Sunday. With a loss, their season will come to an end and they’ll head home, or to their preferred vacation destinations. The stakes don’t get much higher.
Let’s take a look at two keys to victory for Philadelphia in Game 6, one on offense and one on defense.
Offense: Run The Offense Through Joel Embiid in the Post
The Sixers unlocked something in the second half of Game 5, and that was running the offense through star center Joel Embiid in the post. Earlier in the game, Embiid was settling for 3-point attempts and not utilizing his sheer size and power. When he switched from perimeter play to post play in the second half, the Celtics didn’t have an answer.
Boston doesn’t have a big man who can guard Embiid individually in the post, so he was having his way in single coverage against the likes of Neemias Queta and Nic Vucevic. When the Celtics ultimately decided to send help at Embiid in the post, he made them pay by spraying the ball out to the perimeter. The extra attention commanded by Embiid in the post leads to more open opportunities for his teammates. As a result, Embiid finished with 8 assists in Game 5.
After the game, Embiid admitted that getting up a lot of 3s was part of the gameplan, but he was forced to adjust his approach because his shots weren’t dropping.
“I was just figuring it out,” Embiid said. “This is the second game back, and then obviously going into that game while the key things was trying to get a couple more 3s off as a team, and I was open, so I got to take them. Unfortunately, didn’t make any. I’ll make some next game, and then obviously you got to kind of change. It obviously wasn’t working, so I had to adjust. Just wanted to impose myself inside a little bit more, and it worked out.”
Obviously, asking Embiid to bang in the post on every single possession is a bit much, especially since he’s just three weeks removed from an appendectomy. But, Philadelphia’s offensive attack should feature a heavy dose of the former MVP going to work down low.
Defense: Stay Home on Shooters, Don’t Overhelp
The Sixers also unlocked something defensively in Game 5 by staying home on shooters and not overhelping into the lane as much as they had over the course of the season.
This approach resulted in far fewer open opportunities for the Celtics from beyond the arc. Boston connected on a series-low 11 3-pointers in Game 5. This was by design.
“We just felt like we were just over helping a little too much last game,” reserve guard Quentin Grimes said after Game 5. “They had a lot of wide open 3s. That’s what they like to do. I feel like [in Game 5], we stuck to the game plan, stay solid, guard our man, and just made them take tough 2s.”
This Sixers should employ this exact same defensive approach in Game 6. Sure, it might result in some easier drives to the basket, but that’s preferable to a parade of open shots from long range for a team that excels in that area.
If the Sixers can replicate some of those things that they did well in Game 5, they should have an opportunity to extend the series once again.
Two Keys to Victory for Philadelphia 76ers in Game 6 vs. Boston Celtics