Philadelphia 76ers host Boston Celtics in first second round game since 2003 – NBA Preview
The Philadelphia 76ers will host the Boston Celtics in game 3 of their Eastern Conference Semi Final clash. The Sixers have had an amazing playoff run, entering the postseason with the 8th best record but beating the
top seeded Bulls in the first round. Now they will enter Wednesday night, having won game 2 in Boston and gaining the home court advantage.
This is the first time since the Larry Brown and Allen Iverson Sixers team of 2003, that the Sixers will be hosting an Eastern Conference semi final game.
"The fans are very appreciative of what we're doing. And they're happy” said Sixers veteran forward Elton Brand.
The Celtics have been showing signs of fatigue in this series. They are a relatively old team, with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen all veterans to the game. They barely won game 1 and could not keep up deep in game 2.
Paul Pierce is playing with an MCL injury in his left knee that has slowed him down and affected his jump shot. Ray Allen is also playing with a bad right ankle and game 3 will once again be a test of their toughness and strength,
as the young Sixers squad will once again take them to the edge in front of a starving home crowd.
The Celtics are however, the more experienced team and are just coming off a series victory over another young and dangerous team in the Atlanta Hawks. Their veteran players know playoff basketball and they know how to close games.
In game 2, Rajon Rondo and Paul Peirce struggled on the offensive end. Pierce had 7 points and Rondo had 8 points and 13 assists. Garnett finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds, but still was not on his aggressive best. Ray Allen
came off the bench to add 17 points but besides him, the Celtics do not have much depth in their bench which means their starting five will have to put up more minutes.
For the Sixers, Andre Iguodala and Spencer Hawes are the key, although Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner also contribute offensively on a regular basis. Iguodala had 13 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists in the game 2 victory. He is the
veteran among the lot and has to take up the responsibility of carrying the team.
Spencer Hawes struggled in game 2 with only 8 points, but the Sixers need him to find his footing in the paint area to counter the Garnett juggernaut.
The Sixers have had double point leads to go into the 2nd half in both of their games against the Celtics and will probably be leading early in game 3 as well. Their quickness and youth helps them achieve that. But the
Celtics are great finishers and have playoff experience which is where the Sixers need to be careful.
"I don't like the fact that we took, to me, almost three quarters to play the right way offensively. We knew the blueprint before the game. It took us three quarters to get into it. I always say that's on me. Somehow, I have to
figure that out with our guys” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers after the game 2 loss.
The Celtics were outrebounded 47-36 in game 2 and need to even out the Sixers advantage on boards in the coming game. The Sixers have been doing a good job closing games in the post season, first with Chicago and now in game 2
against the Celtics. Their main weakness is their inexperience and need to continue focusing till the end of the game.
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