Inside The Playbook

Quick Analysis: Boston Celtics v. Philadelphia 76ers Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 1

By: Lily Zhao

After defeating Chicago 4-2, the Philadelphia 76ers head to Boston to face the Celtics who also took care of business against Atlanta 4-2 to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Here are three quick aspects to focus on tonight during game one of the semifinals series between the Celtics and Sixers:

1. The Tempo

As evidenced in its first round match-up between Chicago, Philadelphia sure can run. This team is one of the better teams in the league scoring in transition, and they like to up the tempo of the game. With a speedy point guard like Jrue Holiday and wings like Andre Iguodala, Evan Turner, Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young, the Sixers are seventh in the league in fast-break points per game. They scored 25 fast-break points in the series-shifting game 2 against Chicago, and then scored another 21 points in the series ending game 6.

(bleacherreport.com)

Now on the other end of the court, Celtics coach Doc Rivers has emphasized the value of the ball and not turning it over. The Sixers average 17.8 points off turnovers in the playoffs, good enough to be rankd fifth in the league. With that said, the Celtics are more prone to turnovers when they are playing at a very high pace, which gives the Sixers the advantage. The Celtics will look to slow down the Sixers into playing ball in the half court because while the C's are a top two team in the league in seven different defensive categories, transition defense is not one of them.

2. Health

(celticshub.com)

Heading into tonight's game, the Sixers have been relatively healthy. The Celtics on the other hand, have been pretty banged up. Paul Pierce has a sprained MCL in his left knee, while Mickael Pietrus is also nursing an ailing knee. Ray Allen's ankle has regressed since he first returned to the court in game 3 of the first round. Avery Bradley's shoulder pains and Kevin Garnett's nagging hip flexor could all present issues for a Boston offense that has struggled to generate consistent points this season.

Because of the C's ailing state, if the Sixers can put the game on full-throttle, get Iguodala and Holiday out on the break, Philadelphia could put Boston in some compromising positions. For the Celtics, someone on the bench will need to be the player scoring the bulk of the points. However, since the bench is more defensive minded, it might need an offensive spark elsewhere.

3. Defense

(espn.com)

Defenses win championships, and that's why both Boston and Philadelphia have shutdown defenses. During the regular season, the two teams ranked second and third respectively in the league in points per game allowed. The Celtics are only allowing a little over 82 points per game, while the Sixers are allowing a little over 84 points per game. Whichever team can find a way to consistently manufacture points will likely advance to the Conference Finals.