Monday night at TD Garden, the Boston Celtics will meet the Philadelphia 76ers in a crucial Eastern Conference matchup.
The 76ers are the higher seed in what has become one of the NBA’s best rivalries in recent years, and while this series appears to be tight, that may be contingent upon key injuries that fans will want to keep an eye on.
Reports on 76ers vs. Celtic injuries: 1 Questionable, 1 Out
A week off and a number of ailments have cast doubt on Philadelphia’s ability to repeat their impressive performance in the opening series against Brooklyn.
They’ve had a tough time beating the Celtics this year, but they’re hoping an early April victory can turn things around.
With one of the finest road records in the NBA, the Sixers’ upcoming road trip should not raise any red flags.
The 76ers swept the opening round playoff series against Brooklyn, winning both away games by single-digit margins. Four consecutive road victories attest to this team’s talent, but the Celtics present a special opening, especially given their desire to make a statement in Game 1 of the series.
With so much at stake in this series, the health of Joel Embiid remains the primary cause for concern.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Embiid (knee) is officially labeled as doubtful for Monday’s Game 1.
After sitting out the final game of the first-round series against the Nets with a sprained right knee, Embiid is also not scheduled to play in Game 1.
There are major doubts about how many games Embiid will be able to play this season, and he is questionable for Monday night’s start. It could be problematic on both ends of the court if the NBA’s MVP favorite isn’t at the helm.
Paul Reed would likely start in his place, but James Harden and Tyrese Maxey might see more minutes as Philadelphia’s leading scorers if Embiid is out.
We still don’t know if Embiid will be able to play in Game 2 on Wednesday in Boston.
Philadelphia has been dominant on both sides of the court, especially in the playoffs, but without Embiid they will be less effective.
With Embiid out of the lineup, they have found success leaning on a combination of postseason scoring leaders Tyrese Maxey (21.8 ppg) and Tobias Harris (20.3 ppg). Not to overlook James Harden, but the lack of a starting frontcourt is intriguing.
After their last series went more games than expected, Boston is relieved to be back at home.
The Celtics have one of the greatest home records in the NBA (34-10), and they have already swept the 76ers at home twice this season.
Even though they lost a home game to Atlanta in the first round, they should still enter this game feeling optimistic.
Since April 4th, Boston has only played four times on the road, which has been beneficial to both their schedule and their health.
Fans have been waiting all season for this game, and Boston will certainly be prepared to make the most of their chance on Monday.
Even though Tatum and Brown are the Celtics’ best players, the series with the Hawks is so close that the Celtics will have to wait until game six to win.
Now they’ll move on to face the 76ers in what should be an exciting series. The Celtics will need top performances from Tatum and Brown if they are to return to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second year in a row.
Maintaining a healthy roster has been crucial to Boston’s success this year. Danilo Gallinari has been sidelined all season with a knee injury, but they have managed just fine without him.
Now that Boston is facing a playoff team that is also dealing with injury problems, they may have the upper hand.
