The Celtics have performed lots of memorable video games towards the Philadelphia 76ers through the period of The Course of.
All of us bear in mind Jayson Tatum’s 51-point Sport 7 in Spherical 2 of the 2023 playoffs.
We additionally bear 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 effectively.
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 recreation winner on February twenty fifth, 2023, that was almost upstaged by a Joel Embiid buzzer beating tying shot. Nonetheless, it didn’t rely.
Nonetheless, possibly probably the most memorial recreation these two groups have performed not too long ago 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 had been carrying their inexperienced ‘Earned Version’ jerseys which the workforce obtained 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 recreation, scoring 34 factors, grabbing 16 rebounds and blocking 2 photographs. It was a fantastic duel between Embiid and Horford, as effectively. 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 recreation.
It felt like on lots of performs Embiid obtained the higher of Horford.
On his first hoop of the sport, Embiid posted up Horford and obtained to the block with ease ending with a hook shot.
That is nice protection by Al. He makes use of his physique effectively to mess with Embiid’s dribble. He additionally does a fantastic job as soon as Embiid re-gathers himself and would not enable Embiid to again him down. Nonetheless, Embiid makes a fantastic play, pivoting round Al and attending to the cup for the deuce.
Al obtained the higher of Joel on just a few performs as effectively.
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 tricky shot which he will get an excellent contest on, forcing the miss.
This was an enormous play late within the recreation, Embiid pump fakes the primary try, by 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 tricky 3 with a extremely good contest. Even when Wilson Chandler (that could be a throwback identify who I forgot was on this recreation) 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 recreation as a Celtic on this one. His 23 first half factors allowed for the Celtics to construct a lead.
As the nice Hubie Brown mentioned, “simple, simply easy.”
It was an excellent begin for Irving however he actually took over this recreation on the finish of the 4th quarter and additional time. His final 4 buckets had been all in big-time moments and had been shows of elite shot making.
The best way he creates house by lulling Butler into stopping earlier than blasting in the 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 tricky fall away jumper and whereas it did hit the entrance of the rim, Irving obtained 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 talents. Nothing however web.
The gang response tells you all the pieces. 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 drag up from 30 toes and to empty it the best way 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 drag that off and (whereas I hate to confess it) Kyrie has all the time been that man… not like another person on this recreation.
This was an unimaginable recreation and possibly the basketball gods will bless us with one other Celtics-Sixers basic, although I would not thoughts a blowout Celtics win.
