The second round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs is officially here, and it has already produced some memorable moments. Franchises are now a step closer to taking home the Larry O'Brien Trophy, but there is still a long way to go. With the Boston Celtics set to host the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, it means it is time for some Celtics Game 2 bold predictions.
The Celtics went 57-25 in the regular season, finishing as the No. 2 seed in the East. Boston’s 57 wins represented a six-win improvement compared to the previous year and also earned the team the second-best record in the entire league, trailing only Milwaukee Bucks at 58-24.
On the other side of the series, Philadelphia finished with a 54-28 record, a three-win improvement from the previous year, and secured the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.
This was also the franchise’s best regular-season campaign since its 56-win season in 2001 when Allen Iverson won MVP and led Philadelphia to the NBA Finals.
In Game 1 on Monday, the Sixers surprised the Celtics with a 119-115 at the TD Garden. Most notably, they did it without MVP finalist Joel Embiid, who is recovering from a knee injury.
Once again at home, the Celtics will need to avoid going down 2-0 before going on the road with Embiid's potential return looming.
With all this in mind, here are some bold Boston Celtics predictions for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.
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3. Boston holds James Harden to at most 30 points
Despite not having Embiid, the Sixers still managed to steal a road game to open the series. Perhaps the main reason why that happened was James Harden's career performance.
The guard finished the night with 45 points, six assists and a rebound, plus two steals. He shot 17-for-30 from the field, including seven made 3-pointers. This tied his mark for most points in a playoff game.
With Embiid's status for Game 2 still up in the air, Philadelphia is likely preparing to have Harden lead the offense once again. Boston will need to contain him so he does not have a repeat performance,
For comparison, Harden averaged just 17.3 points in the first round against the Brooklyn Nets. That includes Game 4, the first one without Embiid in this postseason. Notably, Harden shot only 34.3% from the field.
The bold prediction is that the Celtics will hold Harden to at most 30 points on Wednesday.
Marcus Smart and Derrick White should give him a hard time on the perimeter. Additionally, Robert Williams III should challenge him every time he attacks the basket.
2. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combine for 60+ points and 15+ rebounds
As for the Celtics, they will need everything they can get from their stars to avoid going down 2-0. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are coming off the best years of their respective careers and have continued to make a big impact in the postseason.
Tatum ended up earning his fourth consecutive All-Star selection and was in the MVP conversation throughout the season. Brown received his second All-Star nod and could make an All-NBA team for the first time in his seven-year career.
In Game 1, Tatum had a team-best 39 points on 14-for-25 shooting with 11 rebounds and five assists. Brown recorded 23 points while hitting 80% of his field goals, including four made 3-pointers, plus six boards and four assists.
So far in the playoffs, Tatum and Brown are scoring 28.9 and 26.1 points a contest, respectively. Both players are shooting better than 45% from the field, with Brown even hitting 54.1% of his 3-pointers.
Should the duo step up on Wednesday, the Celtics will be in a good position to tie the series. The bold prediction is that Tatum and Brown will combine for 60-plus points and 15-plus rebounds.
1. Celtics tie the series 1-1
All things considered; Game 2 is a must-win for the Celtics. If they go down 2-0 before going on the road- and with Embiid possibly returning later in the series- it could be too much to reverse.
Despite the loss on Monday, Boston is still the favorite to win Game 2, according to FanDuel. Currently, the spread is -9, which is the largest among contests that have theirs already announced.
At the end of the day, the Celtics still have the fans on their side for Game 2. In the regular season, they went 32-9 at the TD Garden, one of the best home records in the league in 2022-23.
The bold prediction is that, thanks to Tatum and Brown, plus the defense on Harden, Boston will win and tie the series 1-1. With that result, the Celtics should be more motivated to go to Pennsylvania and steal a game on the road.
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