The Boston Celtics have been in this position before. Almost a year has passed since the Celtics came back from a 3-2 series deficit against the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the 2022 NBA playoffs, and they will have a golden opportunity to do the same against the Philadelphia 76ers, as they battle for all the marbles in Game 7 on Sunday night.
In Game 6, the Celtics, apart from Marcus Smart, looked dead in the water for the first three quarters. Jayson Tatum began the game building a house by bricking 13 of his first 14 shot attempts on the night before exploding for 16 points in the fourth quarter during a game where scoring was at a premium. Now, the Celtics will have the momentum heading into their most crucial game of the season yet.
Game 7 will not come easy at all. Joel Embiid will have plenty of motivation to show up in a winner-take-all contest, given the criticism he'll be hearing if he fails to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals while Nikola Jokic waltzed into the next round with a dominant series. Moreover, James Harden will want to shed his reputation as a playoff choker.
Still, even with that game having the possibility of going either way, the Celtics will have a few advantages that they must maximize so they can continue their revenge tour in the 2023 NBA playoffs.
Here are three reasons why the Celtics will win Game 7 vs. the Sixers.
Stars dictate games, but depth matters too
Under the bright lights of the NBA playoffs, the responsibility to lift one's team across the finish line falls on the shoulders of a team's best player. Teams expect their stars to show up on a nightly basis, as failing to do so usually leads to defeat. On Thursday night, it looked like the Celtics' season was coming to an end amid Jayson Tatum's terrible game, but lo and behold, it was Tatum who turned things around and led the Celtics to victory anyway.
Tatum may grab all the headlines for his spirited turnaround in the fourth quarter, but it's clear that without the contributions of his other teammates for the first three quarters, the opportunity may not have been there for the Celtics star to do a 180-degree turn. A lot of credit must go to Marcus Smart, who decided that the Celtics' season won't end on a whimper by making timely shots to keep them in the game with their stars not having the best of games.
It's not quite clear which member of the Celtics' supporting cast will take center stage in Game 7. But that lack of clarity can be a good thing, as they have plenty of weapons who are capable of heating up on any given night. Last year in Game 7 against the Bucks, it was Grant Williams who stepped up and helped them cruise to victory by being a flamethrower from deep. And now, Williams doesn't even see the floor for the Celtics.
It has been a grueling series for both teams, but the Celtics have a pronounced depth advantage over the Sixers, which could end up being the difference in Game 7.
Celtics have homecourt advantage
As the Phoenix Suns would attest to, homecourt advantage isn't what it's cracked up to be. And in Game 5, the TD Garden crowd did no wonders for a floundering Celtics team, as the Sixers' strong first-half effort, combined with the home team's offensive struggles, sucked the air out of the building.
And as history suggests, the Celtics' homecourt advantage makes them an overwhelming favorite in Game 7. Per StatMuse, the home team has won 75.3 percent of the time in Game 7s (110 out of 146 times), and this is not something to take lightly. Against the Bucks last year, the Celtics crowd became more euphoric the more they got into a rhythm, and in a Game 7 where every second matters, any momentum swing can play a huge factor in the outcome of the game.
Playoff mettle
Wanting to avenge their loss against the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals should be more than enough inspiration for these Celtics to enter Game 7 as determined and as focused as they can be. And as difficult as it may be to believe given the veteran presence of the Sixers squad, but the Celtics have been a more battle-tested team in the playoffs, making the Conference Finals thrice since 2020, and they were a Stephen Curry Game 4 explosion away from being in prime position to win it all.
If anything, count on the core members of the Celtics roster to leave it all on the line without succumbing to the pressure that Joel Embiid and James Harden may soon feel the heat of due to what's at stake for the Sixers.
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