4 reasons to be positive about celtics' probabilities vs. 76ers trailing three-2

 

T's admittedly difficult to be positive about the boston celtics' current catch 22 situation. I

they gave one in every of their worst performances of the season in tuesday night time's recreation five loss to the philadelphia 76ers at td lawn. The sixers jumped out to a lead right off the bat and were in general manage basically the complete sport. Joel embiid looked just like the nba mvp with 33 points. Tyrese maxey stepped up with 30 factors (6-for-12 from 3-factor variety) and james harden poured in 17 points with 10 assists and eight rebounds. Forsberg: celtics are in a acquainted spot, but this 12 months feels extraordinary

the celtics, in the meantime, struggled mightily on each ends of the courtroom. They had been in particular useless from 3-factor land via hitting just 12 of 38 attempts (31. 6 percentage). Jayson tatum ended up with 36 points, but he shot zero-for-five with  factors within the first sector regardless of gambling all 12 minutes. It changed into the 1/3 time in the last 4 video games that tatum has did not start sturdy. Al horford turned into held to zero factors on 0-for-7 capturing, and boston's bench didn't offer plenty, both. The celtics now face a three-2 collection deficit and need to win the ultimate  video games of the collection to store their season. The primary task is thursday night in game 6 in philadelphia. Although it's hard for celtics enthusiasts to be constructive proper now, there are numerous motives to have some self assurance inside the state of affairs enhancing, starting with...

Celtics have triumph over numerous three-2 deficits

the celtics have gained six first-class-of-7 playoff series when trailing 3-2, that is the most in league history. They maximum lately accomplished that feat inside the 2d round ultimate season. They misplaced game five to the milwaukee bucks at domestic and then tatum gave arguably the best overall performance of his career with 46 factors in a recreation 6 win on the street. The c's lower back domestic for sport 7 and demolished the greenbacks with crimson-hot three-point capspecialists

Celtics are a good road playoff team

The C's actually play pretty well on the road in the playoffs. They went 8-4 on the road in the 2022 playoffs, including multiple road victories in the first round, second round and conference finals. They are 3-2 on the road in this playoff run, and it easily could be 4-1 because the Celtics absolutely should have won Game 4 in Philly last Sunday. 

Here's a list of some notable road playoff wins for the Celtics over the last two years:

• Game 4 in first round at Brooklyn to complete a sweep
• Game 4 in second round at Milwaukee to avoid 3-1 series deficit
• Game 6 in second round at Milwaukee to force Game 7
• Game 5 in conference finals at Miami to take 3-2 series lead
• Game 7 in conference finals at Miami to reach NBA Finals
• Game 6 in first round at Atlanta to clinch the series
• Here's where the celtics rank in some incredible stats among 2023 playoff groups on the street:

ppg: 121. 1 (1st)

fg%: forty eight. 4 (third)

3pt%: forty. 2 (t-1st)

toes%: eighty three. Five (4th)

blocks/game: 6. Eight (t-1st)

the celtics are 7-9 in their ultimate sixteen domestic playoff video games. However, they may be five-2 of their final seven recreation 7s at home. If they can win sport 6 and force a sport 7 in boston on sunday, the celtics must be in correct shape. Sixers have misplaced a few essential playoff games at home these days

the sixers had been 29-12 at home at some point of the 2022-23 ordinary season and they may be 3-1 at wells fargo middle in the course of this playoff run. However they're now not proof against negative performances in crucial video games in front in their fanatics. Here's a listing of great home losses for the 76ers over their preceding postseason runs:

2021: misplaced game five and sport 7 to hawks in second round

2022: lost game 5 by means of 15 points to raptors with danger to shut out first-round series

2022: lost sport 6 with the aid of nine points to warmth at the same time as dealing with removal in 2nd spherical

document rivers-led teams aren't closeout specialists

Rivers is a good coach, but for whatever reason, he's been at the helm of some memorable blown leads in playoff series.

His teams have blown three 3-1 leads -- 2003 Orlando Magic in the first round, 2015 Los Angeles Clippers in the second round and 2020 Clippers in the second round. The Celtics won Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead in the 2009 second round, 2010 NBA Finals and 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, and they failed to win each series. Rivers was the coach of all three of those teams. 

Rivers' last nine playoff runs as a head coach have all ended in the first or second round. His last three coaching seasons ended in the second round, including the last two years with the 76ers. 

He does have several Game 7 wins on his resume, as well as an NBA title with the Celtics in 2008. But since leaving the Celtics in 2013, Rivers has never reached the conference finals.