It took six games and a pretty competitive final matchup, but the Boston Celtics ousted the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
The No. 2 seed during the regular season, Boston will now take on the rival Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals starting Monday in Massachusetts.
Philadelphia swept the Brooklyn Nets in the first round, ending that series without star center Joel Embiid on the court due to injury. This is a major storyline heading into Monday.
This will represent the 23rd time that these two organizations have met in the postseason. The most recent matchup resulted in the Boston Celtics sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs in the Orlando Bubble.
There are several storylines heading into what promises to be an epic matchup between these two NBA title contenders. Let’s check in on three of them below.
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Obviously, this is the biggest storyline heading into the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Embiid suffered an LCL sprain in the knee during Philadelphia’s Game 3 win over Brooklyn. He missed the team’s series-clinching win last weekend. As of right now, it’s not looking good as it relates to Embiid’s status for Game 1.
“He didn’t do anything today. If I was a betting man, I would probably say doubtful for at least Game 1,” Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers said on Saturday.
Even with Atlanta extending its first-round series against Philadelphia to six, that extra two days off is not going to help Embiid.
It doesn’t take a genius to realize just how important Embiid is to Philadelphia’s success. If he is not able to play a role in the next round, the 76ers’ path to the conference finals narrows a lot. Even if Embiid is able to go, his mobility will be impacted by a brace the star center will have to wear on his knee.
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Heading into the 2023 NBA Playoffs, reports surfaced that Brown is not too happy about his role within the Celtics’ organization. He did not necessarily quiet down those rumors leading up to the postseason.
“I don’t know. As long as I’m needed. It’s not up to me. We’ll see how they feel about me over time and I feel about them over time. Hopefully, whatever it is, it makes sense. But I will stay where I’m wanted. I will stay where I’m needed and treated correct.”
Jaylen Brown on his future with the Boston Celtics
A short while before that, Brown called out Celtics fans as “extremely toxic” to outspoken athletes. There is a ton that goes into what’s happening behind the scenes, including Brown seemingly taking on a supporting role to Jayson Tatum in Boston. In fact, he’s already been linked to multiple Western Conference teams as the star wing prepares for free agency after next season.
With that said, winning cures most ills in the NBA. If Boston is able to earn its second trip to the Finals and come away hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy, talk of Brown’s departure of the organization will likely have been premature. The fact that he averaged 26.7 points per game during the first round lends credence to the idea that Brown will continue to prove his worth for the Celtics.
Boston has won five consecutive NBA Playoff series against Philadelphia. In fact, the 76ers’ last postseason win against these Celtics came in the Eastern Conference Finals back in 1982.
How long ago was that? Philadelphia head coach Doc Rivers was in his final years as a player at Marquette. It has been complete and utter domination for Boston against Philadelphia in the NBA Playoffs. That includes winning eight of the past nine games. You have to believe that this is in the minds of both teams heading into Monday.
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