Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia 76ers Prediction & Match Preview - August 23rd, 2020 | Game 4
Match Details
Fixture: Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia 76ers
Date & Time: Sunday, August 23rd, 1:30 PM ET (11 PM IST)
Venue: The Field House, Orlando, FL
The Boston Celtics left it late in the third tie of this Eastern Conference series against the Philadelphia 76ers. In a game where both teams show the ball poorly, Jayson Tatum and co. ran victorious with a 10-0 run in the last few minutes and are just one win away from progressing to the next round.
Boston Celtics Preview
Even with Gordan Hayward out for extended minutes, the Boston Celtics' roster shone through on Friday night. When Jaylen Brown and Tatum failed to have the desired impact on offense, Kemba Walker came up with a comfortable 24 point-outing.
Marcus Smart's steal in the fourth quarter resulted in the play that gave Boston the lead against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 3. Brad Stevens will be expecting more clutch plays from Smart and his side in general as the Celtics look to progress in the NBA Playoffs.
Key Player - Jaylen Brown
At just 23, Jaylen Brown is already one of the best two-way players in the NBA. Brown can go for 20 points on any given night and his defensive tandem with Tatum has been key throughout the series for stopping Philadelphia 76ers' frontcourt. More importantly, he's been Coach Stevens' pick for playing extended minutes with the Boston Celtics' rotation being seriously strained right now.
Celtics Predicted Lineup
Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Daniel Theis
Philadelphia 76ers Preview
No matter how well the Philadelphia 76ers play defensively, they're not going to win games if they shoot at less than 30% as they did in Game 3. They've managed to flounder completely during the key moments and now see themselves in a win-or-go-home situation.
No one has turned up for Philly on both ends of the court in the last three games consistently besides Joel Embiid. Al Horford is nowhere close to having the desired impact at power forward as Brett Brown continues to miss the services of Ben Simmons.
Key Player - Tobias Harris
Tobias Harris has simply failed to step up with Simmons out injured. Harris' a decent defender and his work on the glass is commendable as well. He was supposed to complement Joel Embiid going forward as well but hasn't managed to do that at all. He had a 15-15 for the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 3 but went just 6-of-19 on the floor and needs to shore up in the shooting department immediately.
76ers Predicted Lineup
Shake Milton, Josh Richardson, Tobias Harris, Al Horford, Joel Embiid
Celtics vs 76ers Match Prediction
It's been a tale of two absolutely different teams so far in this series. While the Boston Celtics have turned up every night even with injury troubles, the Philadelphia 76ers have been severely dysfunctional. Expect the Cs to come up big once more to sweep Philly 4-0 and move forward in the postseason.
Where to watch Celtics vs 76ers?
National broadcast of this game will be available on ABC. You can also live stream the tie via the NBA League Pass.
Also read: 5 reasons why the Philadelphia 76ers stand no chance of getting past the Boston Celtics in NBA Playoffs 2020