Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia 76ers Prediction & Match Preview - May 14th, 2023 | Game 7, 2023 NBA Playoffs
The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers will play the only Game 7 of the conference semifinals on Sunday. The Celtics, who avoided elimination in Game 6, will play at home and have a slight edge.
What makes this matchup interesting is that both teams have won two games of the series on the road. While playing at TD Garden will favor the Celtics, the 76ers will look to win their third game in Boston this postseason.
The winner of the series will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals to face the Miami Heat. Both teams have played against the Heat recently, and the Celtics will look for a conference finals matchup from 2020.
Boston Celtics are favored to beat Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7
Bookmakers give the Boston Celtics better odds to win Game 7 on Sunday. While they are seven-point favorites, the Philadelphia 76ers certainly won't go down without a fight. Joel Embiid is the MVP, after all, and will do his best to win the series.
Unfortunately for the Sixers, the history is not on their side. Embiid is 0-2 in Game 7's, while James Harden is 3-2. Doc Rivers, coach of the team, has a poor record in these big games as well, with only six wins in 15 games.
To make things worse, Embiid is 1-6 against the Celtics in the postseason. This is his third series against Boston after losing in five games in 2018 and getting swept in 2020.
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Interestingly, no team has won more Game 7's than the Boston Celtics. They are 26-9 in these big games and have even played against the Sixers in Game 7 seven times, winning five of these series.
Jayson Tatum is 4-1 in these big games, while Jaylen Brown has won five of six games.
Tatum will likely be a deciding factor on Sunday. He leads the Boston Celtics in scoring with 25.3 points per game, but he's been inconsistent, converting only 41.7% of his shots.
When it comes to injuries, the Celtics will only be without Danilo Gallinari, who has yet to log a single minute for the team this season. The Sixers have no players listed on their injury report.
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Game 7 between the Celtics and 76ers will tip off at 3:30 PM Eastern Time and will be broadcast on ABC. Basketball fans can also watch it on the NBA League Pass.
While we expect an exhilarating game, we predict that the Boston Celtics will close out the series on Sunday and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Sixers had a chance to win the series in Game 6 on Thursday night, but their defeat will likely come back to haunt them.