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Post by Admin on May 5, 2018 11:12:18 GMT -5
Slumping Sixers try to regain winning touch vs.Celtics STATSHeading back to Philadelphia down 2-0 to the Boston Celtics, the suddenly cold 76ers have some quick thinking to do in order to right the ship. After winning 16 straight to close the regular season and finishing off the Miami Heat in five games in the first round, the 76ers now head back to face Boston at the Wells Fargo Center for their 5 p.m. matchup on Saturday with their first two-game losing streak since late February. Boston clipped the once-surging 76ers in Game 2 with a huge surge of their own, coming back from a 22-point deficit to win on Boston on Thursday, 108-103. 76ers head coach Brett Brown drew criticism for his handling of Boston’s big run. Down 48-26 early in the second quarter, Boston eventually cut the lead to five at the half and took control with a 28-19 third quarter, and Brown chose not to call timeouts with his team bleeding. “We have the league’s No. 1-rated starting five, is a fact,” he said. “Those five guys have shown great maturity, they have shown they can sustain different types of runs and still hold the fort. There were a few times (when he thought about calling a timeout). I mentioned there was one with (Terry) Rozier with his Euro-step that as I watched in the light of day, that was a moment you could have done it.” As much criticism as Brown is facing, rookie point guard Ben Simmons might be facing the steepest uphill battle heading into Saturday’s matchup. Simmons had arguably his worst game as a pro, scoring one point on 0-for-4 shooting with five rebounds and seven assists. What’s worse: His negative-23 plus/minus ratio. Rozier and backcourt mate Marcus Smart, meanwhile, combined for 39 points, 12 assists and 12 rebounds, and Boston got a big 13 points out of Jaylen Brown off the bench. “I think the Celtics defensive intensity went to a higher level,” Brown said. “I think somewhere at the five-minute mark and we brought Joel (Embiid) and JJ (Redick) back into the game in the second period. We give them credit. They went on a little run and then they went on another run I think at two minutes left.” Unlike the 76ers, who closed out the regular season with a bang, the Celtics were written off for much of the latter part of the schedule, after losing Kyrie Irving for the season and dropping four of six to close out the year. The Celtics’ seven-game series with Milwaukee in the first round did little to ease the chirping outside of Boston, especially with Philadelphia so hot. But Brad Stevens’ strategy of resting his starters down the stretch might be paying dividends, as Al Horford and Rozier are averaging 35 or more minutes this series. “Everyone feels good enough to play high minutes, which is why the last four games of the regular season were done the way we did,” said Stevens. “I think we had a plan of attack throughout the regular season based on each individual. Obviously we chose some times to rest guys, but not that many, but more so manage it throughout the games. We felt like we were a deep team.” For both teams, Saturday’s matchup will be a study in short memories. For the Celtics, they must erase in their minds the 22-point deficit they dug themselves into on Thursday. For Philadelphia, the bad taste of a squandered double-digit lead must be forgotten. But not, Brown hopes, the lessons they learned. www.foxsports.com/nba/boxscore?id=33209&type=5
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Post by Admin on May 5, 2018 11:13:26 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on May 5, 2018 11:18:31 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on May 5, 2018 11:21:14 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on May 5, 2018 11:39:49 GMT -5
Five key questions heading into Celtics vs. Sixers Game 3By: Greg Cassoli The Boston Celtics took care of business at home to open their series with the Philadelphia 76ers, establishing a commanding 2-0 lead before heading out on the road. We broke down five key questions to consider entering into Game 3 on Saturday. #1 Can the Celtics continue to limit Ben Simmons?Boston has curbed Ben Simmons’ production through two games, walling off the paint and forcing him to be a jump shooter. He’s opted to not to fill that role, choosing instead to toss the ball out to his tightly guarded teammates on the perimeter. Such a strategy is nothing new. Keeping Simmons away from the basket has always been the preferred outcome for Sixers’ opponents. It’s much more easily theorized about than actually executed, but the Celtics have an army of long, strong, athletic bigs and wings that have been up to the task thus far. Philadelphia has scored just 97.0 points per 100 possessions in Simmons’ minutes on the court. It won’t win a game if that trend continues, let alone the series. If you’re small sample size alarm bells are ringing here, you’re in the right. Two games are far too few to draw any conclusions. The most likely outcome is that Simmons will be far more positively impactful moving forward. Boston won’t make it easy for him though. If it can keep Simmons from producing at an All-Star level then it has to like its chances. #2 Will Boston’s offense travel?The Celtics didn’t fair so well on the road in their first-round series with the Milwaukee Bucks. They’ll need to buck (I promise that wasn’t intentional) that trend if they want to steal a game in Philly. Terry Rozier, Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart have all had big games in the friendly confines of the TD Garden, with a few duds dropped away from home. Al Horford has really been Boston’s only consistently excellent offensive force regardless of location. The Celtics have enough potential sources of scoring that they don’t need every one of their role players to step up in Philly, but if two or more struggle the way they often did in Milwaukee, wins will be hard to come by. #3 Is Al Horford the perfect Joel Embiid antidote?Joel Embiid’s two greatest strengths are protecting the rim and punishing smaller defenders in the post. Stretch bigs that can lure him from the hoop typically don’t have the size to bang on the block. Post behemoths that can handle him down low generally don’t have the shooting ability to pull him from the paint on defense. Al Horford is the rare big that can give Embiid fits. He’s not going to shut down the Sixers’ massive center in the post, but Horford’s one-on-one defense has been solid. Boston is happy to let him contest Embiid while the rest of its defenders stay tied tight to the shooters that surround him. On offense Horford is capable of making life miserable for Embiid with his versatility. If the Sixers opt to drop Embiid in pick-and-roll coverage, Horford will pop to the three-point line, where he’ll either find an open look or leverage his quickness to blow by a hard close out. If Philly switches, Horford can take his new man to the block and use his heft and passing ability in the post to wreak havoc. There isn’t a clear solution for the Sixers. They could consider abandoning a non-shooter like Marcus Smart on the perimeter and letting Embiid simply camp in the paint full-time, or hope that Embiid can use his craft to draw early fouls on Horford and force him from the game. Those aren’t perfect strategies, but the Sixers need to do something. They’re down 2-0 and Horford’s impact is a major reason why. #4 What’s the state of Jaylen Brown’s hamstring?Jaylen Brown made a number of key plays in the Celtics’ Game 2 win, but he didn’t appear to be moving all that well by the time he was removed from the contest. Boston needed Brown’s defense and shot making to emerge with the victory. The value of his ability to produce under pressure only increases as Boston takes to the road. The Celtics need to be careful with Brown. He’s a major part of what promises to be a very bright future, both individually and collectively. Boston may not be able to afford playing without him in the present, but it’s far more important that he remain healthy in the long run. #5 Is it time to start reevaluating what the Celtics are capable of?Boston’s postseason run has been marked by low expectations, and reasonably so. The Celtics are missing a ton of talent. The version of the team that we’ve seen throughout the playoffs is far from the final product most observers hoped to be watching this time of year. And yet they keep on winning. Suddenly a return to the Eastern Conference Finals doesn’t seem so farfetched. Boston could go a long way toward cementing that sense by winning one of its two upcoming games in Philadelphia. Until then, it’s likely wise to continue tempering expectations a bit. celticswire.usatoday.com/2018/05/04/five-key-questions-heading-into-celtics-vs-sixers-game-3/
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Post by Admin on May 5, 2018 11:52:37 GMT -5
To Live and Die With Ben SimmonsThe Sixers’ potential is tied to their rookie point guard’s performance, which is a glaring issue when he no-showsBy Paolo Uggetti Getty ImagesWith 1:44 left in Game 2 between the Sixers and the Celtics and Philadelphia behind by seven points, Ben Simmons drove to the rim. The Sixers had led by as many as 22 in the first half Thursday, but now Simmons was looking to cut the Celtics’ lead to five. Instead, he stumbled and missed the easy layup. The Sixers ultimately lost, 108-103. Simmons’s face after the late-game blunder summed up his performance for the entire game: Much to the chagrin of Donovan Mitchell, Ben Simmons technically is a rookie, and against a feisty Celtics team unafraid to rattle him, he played like one. The Celtics have exposed Simmons’s weaknesses on offense. He took four shots and made none. His single point came from a free throw, and he finished with a shocking, putrid minus-23. (Simmons was a minus-21 in Game 1.) It wasn’t just his lack of scoring. He usually compensates with impressive assists and general command on the court, but Boston muted his impact in the passing game too. He still had seven assists, but was forced into five turnovers—the most of any Sixer. Through two games, Boston has put the clamps on Simmons, throwing a much stronger defense at him than he faced from Miami. The Celtics’ impact on his rhythm is distorting how the entire team functions. Joel Embiid and, in this series, Robert Covington are crucial scorers, but their contributions are tied to the pace that Simmons sets. It’s a testament to his value but also a glaring issue when he’s not playing his best. Without a thriving Simmons, the Sixers look discombobulated at times, desperate for another playmaker and forced to dump the ball to Embiid in the post or rely on a fadeaway 3 from either J.J. Redick or Marco Belinelli. Simmons was so stymied in Game 2 that Brett Brown opted to give T.J. McConnell extended minutes—and he was far more impactful than Simmons, finishing with eight points, five assists, and a team-high plus-16. “I think mentally, I was thinking too much,” Simmons said postgame. Simmons’s off night couldn’t have come at a worse time. Embiid didn’t have a great game, but he hit big shots down the stretch. Covington had his best game of the playoffs, scoring 22 points and hitting four 3s. He also played the best defense of any Sixer. Given how streaky Covington is, it’s a shame Philly wasted one of his good games. It’s one of the few times Simmons has struggled this season, and he’s judged by the high standard he’s set. The fall is harder when he’s already achieved so much. The Celtics have never lost a series in which they’ve held a 2-0 lead; in their team history, they’re 36-0 in that situation. If Simmons fails to show up in any of the Sixers’ home games, then Philly won’t be able to buck that trend, and the series will be over before the first “Trust the Process” chant at Wells Fargo Center begins.www.theringer.com/nba/2018/5/4/17317944/celtics-sixers-game-2-ben-simmons
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Post by kyceltic on May 5, 2018 13:40:12 GMT -5
A road win would do wonders for this young teams confidence!! Wouldn't hurt mine either!!
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Post by Cabutan on May 5, 2018 14:01:18 GMT -5
After two C's win, people still talk about the Sixers. Excuses A B and C all over. I am surprised by it all. Where we the only ones watching Celtics basketball??? No acknowledgement whatsoever. We are due for a road win.
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Post by Cabutan on May 5, 2018 16:02:13 GMT -5
This is it!
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2018 16:10:10 GMT -5
Go Celts! I am loaded and ready once again.
Doc who?
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Post by petey62 on May 5, 2018 16:10:16 GMT -5
WE NEED A ROAD WIN....
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2018 16:15:14 GMT -5
Celts starting cold again.
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Post by Cabutan on May 5, 2018 16:15:23 GMT -5
Missing easy ones
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Post by Cabutan on May 5, 2018 16:15:46 GMT -5
Wow tatum
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Post by petey62 on May 5, 2018 16:15:48 GMT -5
We start off so cold offensively....
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Post by Cabutan on May 5, 2018 16:16:24 GMT -5
Good d on embiid
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Post by Cabutan on May 5, 2018 16:17:04 GMT -5
Tatum knows he has Saric on his pocket
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Post by Cabutan on May 5, 2018 16:18:08 GMT -5
Tatum playing like a fkin star
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2018 16:19:19 GMT -5
Go Tatum! Glad to see somebody start strong. Should settle everybody down.
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Post by Cabutan on May 5, 2018 16:20:31 GMT -5
Now that we get to see tatum against saric, easy take. Tatum any given day.
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Post by Admin on May 5, 2018 16:21:34 GMT -5
Did I see Baynes get rolled over in the lane by Embiid while the zebras grazed in the grass?
If officiating was bad in Boston, it can only get worse in Philly.
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Post by Cabutan on May 5, 2018 16:25:00 GMT -5
30 for tatum lets do this
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Post by Cabutan on May 5, 2018 16:25:30 GMT -5
Is it me or Milwaukee was a more difficult team?
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Post by Cabutan on May 5, 2018 16:27:31 GMT -5
A bit scared. Horford seems sleepwalking today. Needs to toughen up
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2018 16:27:59 GMT -5
Is it me or Milwaukee was a more difficult team? Bucks' length is special. If Giannis could shoot, they would be a dominant team.
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