NBA Playoffs Picks 5/14 – 76ers @ Celtics

NBA Playoffs Picks 5/14 – 76ers @ Celtics

by Thomas Quaynor – NBA analyst for Wannamakeabet.com

The Philadelphia 76ers are on the road facing the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals this afternoon on ABC. The winner will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals and host the Miami Heat beginning on Wednesday. Boston forced a Game 7 after grinding out a 95-86 win at Philadelphia on Thursday night. If Philadelphia wins, it will be their first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2001. If Boston wins, we’ll have a rematch of last year’s East Final when Boston prevailed 4-3 and advanced to the NBA Finals. Boston is a 6.5-point favorite and the total is 201. 

Today’s game will be the eighth Game 7 between these franchises, Boston won 5 of those 7 matchups with the most recent taking place in the 2012 East semis where Boston won 85-75 at home. Boston has won 5 straight postseason series against Philadelphia, included in that was a 2002 Eastern Conference First Round best-of-five Game 5 blowout (120-87) win that sparked the infamous Allen Iverson “practice” rant. Philadelphia’s last playoff series win against Boston came in the 1982 Eastern Conference Finals where they won 120-106 in Game 7 at the Boston Garden.

SERIES RECAP

As with any series that goes the full 7 games, we’ve seen lots of twists and turns with this one. When the series started it appeared as if the 76ers were in trouble after a right knee sprain caused 2023 MVP Joel Embiid to miss Game 1 against Boston. Philadelphia miraculously won Game 1 at Boston 119-115 behind 45 points from James Harden. The 45 points matched a playoff-career high for Harden as he turned back the clock to his MVP form as a Houston Rocket. 

Joel Embiid’s return from the knee injury seemed to hurt Philadelphia as they got blistered 121-87 in Game 2, and then lost 114-102 at home in Game 3. James Harden struggled in both of those losses combining for 30 points on 17.8 percent shooting (5-28) from the field. The takes on Harden coming up short in the playoffs yet again were becoming hotter and hotter, but he redeemed himself in Game 4 by eclipsing the 40-point mark again with 42 points (16-23 FG, 6-9 3Pt) as the 76ers pulled out a 116-115 overtime win. Harden also contributed 9 assists, 8 rebounds, 4 steals and 1 block. Boston’s first year coach Joe Mazzulla came under fire for refusing to use any of his timeouts in the closing seconds of Game 4, Boston looked disorganized and did not get off a shot attempt before the final buzzer. 

Game 5 saw Philadelphia avenge their listless Game 3 loss at home by soundly beating Boston 115-103 on the road to take a 3-2 lead behind 33 points and 4 blocks from Joel Embiid. Tyrese Maxey added 30 points. Boston looked great early in Game 6 as they opened a 16-point lead in the second quarter. Philadelphia rallied to take an 83-81 lead with about 6 minutes left in the game but Boston ended the game on a 14-3 run as Jayson Tatum hit several clutch baskets after struggling for most of the game. 

Boston faced this exact same scenario last year in the playoffs when they trailed the Milwaukee Bucks 3-2 in the second round and had to go on the road to win Game 6 before closing them out in Game 7 at home. 

THE PICK

I think Philadelphia keeps this one close and possibly wins..Take the 6.5!!