The Celtics have performed numerous memorable video games towards the Philadelphia 76ers throughout the period of The Course of.
All of us keep in mind Jayson Tatum’s 51-point Recreation 7 in Spherical 2 of the 2023 playoffs.
We additionally keep in mind the Celtics sweeping the 76ers within the bubble and the 2018 playoffs when the Celtics took Philly out in 5 video games. There have been some basic common season video games as nicely.
On February fifteenth, 2022, the Celtics blew the doorways off of Philadelphia, 135-87 behind 29 factors from Jaylen Brown and 28 factors from Jayson Tatum. There was the Jayson Tatum sport winner on February twenty fifth, 2023, that was almost upstaged by a Joel Embiid buzzer beating tying shot. Nevertheless, it didn’t rely.
Nevertheless, possibly probably the most memorial sport these two groups have performed just lately needed to be on December twenty fifth, 2018. It was the primary time these two groups performed since Philly acquired Jimmy Butler in a commerce with the Timberwolves.
In fact, this was a playoff rematch however these groups had performed on Opening Evening the place Boston blew the doorways off of Philadelphia 105-87 behind 23 factors and 9 rebounds by Jayson Tatum.
The 22-12 76ers got here to Boston to tackle the 19-13 Celtics, who have been carrying their inexperienced ‘Earned Version’ jerseys which the workforce received as a result of they made the playoffs the earlier season. The Celtics beginning 5 included Kyrie Irving, Marcus Sensible, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Morris, and Al Horford.
This was a monster Joel Embiid sport, scoring 34 factors, grabbing 16 rebounds and blocking 2 photographs. It was a fantastic duel between Embiid and Horford, as nicely. Joel scored 16 factors taking pictures 6/13 from the sector and a pair of/4 from 3 when being guarded by Horford within the sport.
It felt like on numerous performs Embiid received the higher of Horford.
On his first hoop of the sport, Embiid posted up Horford and received to the block with ease ending with a hook shot.
That is nice protection by Al. He makes use of his physique nicely to mess with Embiid’s dribble. He additionally does a fantastic job as soon as Embiid re-gathers himself and does not enable Embiid to again him down. Nevertheless, Embiid makes a fantastic play, pivoting round Al and attending to the cup for the deuce.
Al received the higher of Joel on a number of performs as nicely.
Philly fakes a dribble hand up with Embiid and Butler and Embiid isolates. Horford does an excellent job at not letting him muscle his technique to the basket and drive a troublesome shot which he will get a great contest on, forcing the miss.
This was an enormous play late within the sport, Embiid pump fakes the primary try, through which Horford did an excellent job of recovering and as soon as he pump fakes, Al is in good place. Embiid tries to shake Horford and when he can’t he places off a troublesome 3 with a very good contest. Even when Wilson Chandler (that could be a throwback identify who I forgot was on this sport) will get the offensive rebound, Tatum has an superior block to avoid wasting the possession.
Whereas the Embiid-Horford matchup was enjoyable, the story of the sport was Kyrie as a result of this evening belonged to him.
With 40 factors and 10 rebounds on 17/33 from the sector and 5/10 from 3, Kyrie Irving had possibly his finest sport as a Celtic on this one. His 23 first half factors allowed for the Celtics to construct a lead.
As the nice Hubie Brown stated, “simple, simply easy.”
It was a great begin for Irving however he actually took over this sport on the finish of the 4th quarter and time beyond regulation. His final 4 buckets have been all in big-time moments and have been shows of elite shot making.
The best way he creates house by lulling Butler into stopping earlier than blasting in direction of the ring and ending with a really good lay is so good.
That is simply unimaginable shot making by a fantastic participant. Butler performs superior isolation protection and forces Kyrie, who had clearly determined that he was taking this shot it doesn’t matter what, into a troublesome fall away jumper and whereas it did hit the entrance of the rim, Irving received the shooters contact to tie the sport.
Kyrie will get the ball within the dribble handoff and does what he does finest. That pull-up was so unimaginable to look at over these 2 seasons he was a Celtic and this shot was one other instance of his shot making skills. Nothing however web.
The group response tells you all the things. First a tip of the cap on that nice rebound by Tatum however that is about Irving’s shot. Up 1 with a minute and a half to go and he had the stones to tug up from 30 toes and to empty it the way in which he did is what makes this so good.
He sees Butler is again monitoring and is aware of he could make that shot so he takes it. And he buries it. You need to be so chilly to tug that off and (whereas I hate to confess it) Kyrie has all the time been that man… in contrast to another person on this sport.
This was an unimaginable sport and possibly the basketball gods will bless us with one other Celtics-Sixers basic, although I would not thoughts a blowout Celtics win.
