Final: Sixers 111, Celtics 99 - Sloppy Celitcs outclassed by Sixers

GAME 43
Boston Celtics (21-21, 8-13 road, T-10th East) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (23-17, 8-9 home, 5th East)
Wells Fargo Center
7:00 PM - NBC Sports Boston

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

Boston: Dennis Schröder, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Robert Williams

Philadelphia: Matisse Thybulle, Tobias Harris, Seth Curry, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

- Marcus Smart is in Health and Safety Protocols and is out.

- Danny Green (hip) and Shake Milton (back) are out for Philly. Jaden Springer and Braxton Key are on G League assignments. Ben Simmons is still not playing. 

- The Sixers are favored by 3.5

GOING A LITTLE DEEPER

Can Boston slow Joel Embiid down at all? 

Embiid has now scored 30-plus in eight straight games, and exactly 31 in his last five. He’s averaging 32.5 ppg beginning with his 41 point domination of the Celtics. 

“Joel is playing at an incredible level,” Ime Udoka said before the game. “Everything circulates and rotates around Joel, but other guys are being more comfortable and aggressive as well.”

One difference in this game compared to the last is the availability of Horford, who has historically defended Embiid well. It’s a matchup the Celtics will rely on early to, they hope, keep the Sixers center off balance. 

“Joel, first game against us, 3 for 17 and, not to fool ourselves, and he missed some easy shots that he normally would make, but credit to Al, the rest of the team,” Udoka said. “It's never gonna be one guy. I think he's good at taking away certain things and the team has to be behind him helping as well. So will be a full effort on him, the way he’s rolling right now, playing at a high level, it's never just gonna be one guy that can stop Joel. He’s proven that but I think we have capable bigs and capable guys to go after him. And so try to keep him off balance and that's the plan.”

That's easier said than done, obviously. Especially when he’s starting to get out into the open floor.

“One difference that we did see was him leading the break more. He’s taking it coast to coast and took advantage of some cross-matches there,” Udoka said. “So, like Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and a lot of other guys, you want to show a crowd on him and slow him down early in the backcourt and not let him get a head of steam. So, he’s taken advantage three or four times a game in that area. It’s something else we’ve got to be conscious of, besides the usual post-ups and situations they put him in.”

Philly is a little short handed so they're probably not able to withstand a bad Embiid game. The Celtics have had some success against Embiid before. If they can find it again, they might pull off the upset.” 

THREE THINGS TO WATCH FOR

1. Appropriate help: The Celtics will throw a lot of looks at Embiid, and they’ll help from all angles. The key here is for it to be appropriate. The plan will likely to be digs at the ball from guards in order to get him to pick up the ball a little earlier. They have to be careful not to get so caught up in watching Embiid that they lose their man and he relocates for open shots. That applies to anyone looking to help on Embiid. Helpers need to read when Horford has things under control and not turn Embiid into a high assist guy.

2. Rebounding: An side effect of the helping is getting into rebounding position so they can clean up defensive possessions. The worst-case scenario for Boston is coming over to help on Embiid, him missing, and no one being there to rebound. There is little that's quite as deflating as stopping the MVP candidate and then having someone else swoop in for an easy second chance bucket.

3. Building continuity: The more these guys play together, the better they're going to get at the timing of plays. I want to see the cutting and moving, especially if Embiid is forced to cover Horford. There's room to cut and score at the rim. Added thing to watch in conjunction with this: Horford making 3-pointers. He needs to knock some of those down to open up those lanes. 

GAME THREAD

Stick around for more comments below as the game goes on. Feel free to add your two cents in the comments.