3 things to watch in Celtics-76ers Game 6
Guided by Joel Embiid’s 33, the 76ers go into Boston and are available away with a gutsy Game 5 win to drive the sequence again to Philly.
Before Game 5 of the Philadelphia 76ers’ first-round series in opposition to the Boston Celtics, it was honest to marvel if the Sixers have been higher off if Joel Embiid did not play. Embiid returned to the Sixers’ lineup in Game 4 and, whereas he completed with 26 factors, 10 rebounds and 6 assists, he wasn’t very environment friendly. Plus, the Celtics took benefit of him on the opposite finish of the ground.
But Embiid performed in Game 5 and performed significantly better, main the Sixers to a comeback win with 33 factors and eight assists. He bullied the Celtics in the put up and wasn’t a lot of a legal responsibility on protection.
As vital as Embiid’s return has been, this stays a make-or-miss sequence from 3-point vary, particularly for the Celtics. They’ve shot 47.7% from beyond the arc over their three wins and simply 27% over their two losses.
Game 5 got here with the Celtics’ lowest 3-point charge of the sequence. After taking an incredible 58% of their photographs from past the arc in Games 2-4, they took simply 39 (44%) of their 89 photographs from deep on Tuesday. And as they misplaced the fourth quarter by 17 factors, they fought extra from 2-point vary (1-for-14) than they did from 3-point vary (2-for-8).
Here are three things to watch in Game 6 on Thursday (8 p.m. ET, Peacock) …
1. Screen navigation
Credit the Sixers for a few of the Celtics’ struggles. Paul George has been terrific defensively in this sequence, not solely in one-on-one conditions in opposition to the Celtics’ two All-Star forwards, but in addition navigation screens to maintain them from getting off comfy photographs.
With each groups taking part in largely “drop” protection (the place the screener’s defender drops again to defend the rim), display navigation is further vital on each ends of the ground in this sequence. George has been one of many league’s finest defenders at display navigation all through his profession.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Sixers obtained a key cease when George stayed with Jaylen Brown round a Neemias Queta display, lower off his drive to the basket, and compelled him into a troublesome shot…
Quentin Grimes additionally had a terrific path contest on Derrick White jumper early in the fourth quarter on Tuesday.
The Celtics weren’t pretty much as good at navigating screens in Game 5, and the Sixers have been ready to step into some crucial jumpers as they outscored the Celtics, 40-16, over the ultimate 14 1/2 minutes.
Sam Hauser additionally put Grimes on the road for 3 free throws halfway by the fourth quarter when (*3*) a bit of too scorching.
If each groups proceed to play largely drop protection, display navigation will proceed to be a giant issue.
2. An engaged Embiid
Embiid is a type of bigs who has largely performed drop protection, generally efficient and generally not.
On the Celtics’ second possession of the sport, White drove at Embiid, and the Sixers’ huge man did not threaten White’s floater one bit, as an alternative conserving his arms at his sides…
But in a while, Embiid was extra engaged defensively, making it harder for the Celtics to discover photographs once they drove at him…
(Also, one other good instance of the Sixers navigating screens and staying connected to the ball-handler.)
In the fourth quarter, Jayson Tatum stopped attacking Embiid, giving up the ball earlier than he had gained any sort of benefit on one key possession.
Embiid’s greater influence has been on offense this season, however he can clearly be an enormous issue defensively… so long as he is engaged.
3. Vučević and the offense-defense query
With the Sixers in drop protection, Nikola Vučević must be one of the best offensive possibility for the Celtics at middle. It’s a lot simpler for the screen-setter to discover area on the perimeter than rolling to the rim, and Neemias Queta has made 5 photographs from exterior the paint all season.
Vučević is simply 7-for-22 (32%) from 3-point vary in this sequence, however he ought to proceed to get some wide-open appears when he is on the ground. If he knocks just a few extra down, he may open the lane up extra for the Celtics’ stars.
The situation is that he was completely destroyed by Embiid in the low put up in Game 5. Embiid backed him down a number of instances, and Vučević supplied little or no resistance…
According to monitoring information, Embiid had 17 post-ups or isolations in Game 5, up from simply eight in Game 4. And the Sixers scored 1.44 factors per possession when a type of post-ups or isolations led instantly to a shot, turnover or journey to the road.
With his defensive points on Tuesday, Vučević did not play in any respect in the fourth quarter. But the Celtics’ protection wasn’t significantly better with out him, they usually scored simply 10 factors on 17 possessions of the fourth earlier than subbing out their starters with 2:16 left.
Boston might proceed to have an offense-defense dilemma on Thursday, particularly if Embiid continues to play huge.
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John Schuhmann has lined the NBA for greater than 20 years. You can e-mail him herediscover his archive here and follow him on Bluesky.
