2023 East Semifinals | (2) Boston Celtics VS. (3) Philadelphia 76ers (PHI leads 3-2)

[bisme37]

Game 1: Sixers win 119-115
Game 2: Celtics win 121-87
Game 3: Celtics win 114-102
Game 4: Sixers win 116-115
Game 5: Sixers win 115-103
Game 6: Thursday, May 11th at 7:30pm ET on ESPN

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Results of the original poll can be viewed in the previous thread: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2285704

[iLLmatic860]

i dont think philly wins another game

[steefP2]

Celtics generated 49 open or wide open 3’s in game 2 out of 51 total. Game 3 38 open or wide open 3’s out of 45 taken.

[GSWFan1994]

Doc Waters is just so bad adjusting mid-series.

Seems like all the momentum went back to Boston,and they are not giving it up.

[celticfan42487]

Celtics generated 49 open or wide open 3’s in game 2 out of 51 total. Game 3 38 open or wide open 3’s out of 45 taken.

Is this wide open 3s taken in the game by both teams total?

In that case I can kinda see it. It's always been a bad move to double Embiid. Let him get his FTs and two pointers, just don't double him and have him generate open 3s for his team mates and you should be fine.

[bisme37]

Joel's rim protection has been incredible and his overall play has been really good. He gassed out last night but it's understandable with the injury and the fact that he's having to carry the entire team. I don't like bagging on guys for showing up and giving it their all.

Problem is their 2nd best player in the series can't be a tossup between Melton and Georges Niang.

The supporting cast is different but it's the same problem they've had with Boston all throughout Joel's career. The C's are just much better equipped to slow them down than vise versa.

As far as Harden goes they made a point about playoff pressure on EPSN last night and how James just doesn't handle it well. He went off for 45 in Game 1... but Joel was out and the Sixers were on the road, so there was no pressure or expectation to win the game. Now that things have gotten real he's turned into Ben Simmons.

[steefP2]

Celtics generated 49 open or wide open 3’s in game 2 out of 51 total. Game 3 38 open or wide open 3’s out of 45 taken.

Is this wide open 3s taken in the game by both teams total?

In that case I can kinda see it. It's always been a bad move to double Embiid. Let him get his FTs and two pointers, just don't double him and have him generate open 3s for his team mates and you should be fine.

No this is just the Celtics open or wide open 3’s.

I can check Philly later but in game 2 49 of the Celtics 51 threes were either open (closest defender between 4 and 6 feet) or wide open (closest defender 6+ foot). And in game 3 we had 38 out of 45 threes open or wide open.

[steefP2]

philly had 33 open or wide open 3s in game 3 and 23 in game 2.

Both teams shot similar % on those shots during the regular season, philly a bit better but 4 of the top shooters from philly either play limited minutes or not at all in this series.

Philly will knock down the open 3's but Celtics offense is just generating more good looks for good shooters. Game 2 wasnt even an outlier shooting performance from the C's. Yeah they made 21 3's but thats about the expected % when you have 49 open looks with the shooters we have.

Im sure philly will play better offensively during the following games but i doubt itll be enough.

[JujitsuFlip]

Maybe Embiid should rest one more game to see if Harden can go nova again?

[youngcrev]

Right now I say Celtics in 5. If the Sixers win game 4, I'll probably say Sixers in 6. I'm an emotional bitch.

[Ice Trae]

The only adjusting Glenn Rivers does during game is with his pants. Fraud Doctor

[dockingsched]

I think only question is if the Celtics give another game away or if they end it in 5 as they should.

[Ballerhogger]

I think only question is if the Celtics give another game away or if they end it in 5 as they should.

I think they give another one away hawks proved that’

[akula1488]

keeping Tobias Harris over Butler is crazy. Embiid + Butler you get such a core that is a perennial title contender.

[Scarletfire81]

I will say this, so many times this season I’ve thought the Celtics have turned a corner only to see them lose a game in a baffling way. So I wouldn’t be surprised if they lost today, but if they win in a convincing fashion the rest of the teams should be on notice.

[kuclas]

keeping Tobias Harris over Butler is crazy. Embiid + Butler you get such a core that is a perennial title contender.

It wasn’t that.

People need to understand the 5th year fully guaranteed was always the issue with Jimmy butler.

Sixers felt Jimmy was about to turn 30 years old. They had no problem giving Jimmy 4 years max plus partial 5th year guaranteed due to his age

Look. The charlotte hornets felt
The same way about Kemba Walker. He was about to turn age 30 a few months affer Jimmy butler. Why did charlotte let kemba walk instead of offering him 5 years/220 million? Because of his age.

Boston offered him 4 years/140? Max with player option. Walker basically washed after 2 years.

If charlotte had signed Walker for 5 years. He’s stil be on the payroll for 2023-2024 season on the 5th year. It would have been disaster.

Same reason Al Horford walked in 2019 as well. Danny ainge wouldn’t guarantee more than 3 years and at lower 3/75 million or something.

So it was Jimmy butler age and the 5th year guarantee. Once a player gets pissed. He moves in another direction. Add Florida has no state income taxes. I do know some states tax nba players for visiting and playing games

But once Jimmy felt disrespected by Elton brand and Brett brown. He moved on quickly.

[youngcrev]

keeping Tobias Harris over Butler is crazy. Embiid + Butler you get such a core that is a perennial title contender.

Tobias Harris isn't the reason Jimmy Butler is gone.

They could have (and should have) kept everyone that off-season.

[youngcrev]

keeping Tobias Harris over Butler is crazy. Embiid + Butler you get such a core that is a perennial title contender.

It wasn’t that.

People need to understand the 5th year fully guaranteed was always the issue with Jimmy butler.

Sixers felt Jimmy was about to turn 30 years old. They had no problem giving Jimmy 4 years max plus partial 5th year guaranteed due to his age

Look. The charlotte hornets felt
The same way about Kemba Walker. He was about to turn age 30 a few months affer Jimmy butler. Why did charlotte let kemba walk instead of offering him 5 years/220 million? Because of his age.

Boston offered him 4 years/140? Max with player option. Walker basically washed after 2 years.

If charlotte had signed Walker for 5 years. He’s stil be on the payroll for 2023-2024 season on the 5th year. It would have been disaster.

Same reason Al Horford walked in 2019 as well. Danny ainge wouldn’t guarantee more than 3 years and at lower 3/75 million or something.

So it was Jimmy butler age and the 5th year guarantee. Once a player gets pissed. He moves in another direction. Add Florida has no state income taxes. I do know some states tax nba players for visiting and playing games

But once Jimmy felt disrespected by Elton brand and Brett brown. He moved on quickly.

There was a lot more than that at play.

Ben clearly didn't like being relegated to the role he was in during the playoffs, and they were worried about whether Brett would be able to handle Jimmy since there was clearly friction there.

But in a bottomline sense, yeah, if they just put that offer on the table from the jump in spite of their concerns, he'd still likely be in a Sixers uniform.

That day was such a gut punch, and continues to look worse with time.

Kind of amazing the roster is as good as it is considering the amount of opportunities they've **** up.

[iggymcfrack]

keeping Tobias Harris over Butler is crazy. Embiid + Butler you get such a core that is a perennial title contender.

It wasn’t that.

People need to understand the 5th year fully guaranteed was always the issue with Jimmy butler.

Sixers felt Jimmy was about to turn 30 years old. They had no problem giving Jimmy 4 years max plus partial 5th year guaranteed due to his age

Look. The charlotte hornets felt
The same way about Kemba Walker. He was about to turn age 30 a few months affer Jimmy butler. Why did charlotte let kemba walk instead of offering him 5 years/220 million? Because of his age.

Boston offered him 4 years/140? Max with player option. Walker basically washed after 2 years.

If charlotte had signed Walker for 5 years. He’s stil be on the payroll for 2023-2024 season on the 5th year. It would have been disaster.

Same reason Al Horford walked in 2019 as well. Danny ainge wouldn’t guarantee more than 3 years and at lower 3/75 million or something.

So it was Jimmy butler age and the 5th year guarantee. Once a player gets pissed. He moves in another direction. Add Florida has no state income taxes. I do know some states tax nba players for visiting and playing games

But once Jimmy felt disrespected by Elton brand and Brett brown. He moved on quickly.

There was a lot more than that at play.

Ben clearly didn't like being relegated to the role he was in during the playoffs, and they were worried about whether Brett would be able to handle Jimmy since there was clearly friction there.

But in a bottomline sense, yeah, if they just put that offer on the table from the jump in spite of their concerns, he'd still likely be in a Sixers uniform.

That day was such a gut punch, and continues to look worse with time.

Kind of amazing the roster is as good as it is considering the amount of opportunities they've **** up.

Legitimately feels like they’ve made the wrong move on 90% of their decisions since letting Hinkie go. This team should have been a dynasty the way they were set up and this could basically be the end of their run if they lose to Boston and Harden moves on in the offseason.

[Shamrock23]

Sixers win..........my conspiracy theory. Celtics should put their hands in their pocket if I were them.