Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla changed his starting lineup for Game 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers, inserting big man Robert Williams III and moving Derrick White to the bench. While the Celtics were on the ropes in the fourth quarter and needed both a late Jayson Tatum explosion and Sixers collapse to win, the move undoubtedly worked given Boston's fast start to the game and Williams' plus-18 in the box score. Because of this, it's no surprise Mazzulla is sticking with this lineup for Sunday's Game 7.
Mazzulla spoke to the media before the do-or-die game and confirmed he will keep the two-big starting lineup in place against Joel Embiid and Co., per ESPN's Tim Bontemps. That means it will be Williams, Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Al Horford going up against Philly.
Williams played 28 minutes in Game 6, his highest playing time of the series. The big man was under 20 minutes in the prior three games and had played a high of 22 points in Game 2 before Game 6. He made his presence known with 10 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in those 28 minutes. And, again, the Celtics outscored the Sixers by 18 points when Williams was on the court.
In fact, Boston's starting lineup was an impressive +12 in 15 minutes, per NBA.com.
The Celtics will be hoping for another fast start in Game 7. If they can get up early and get the crowd into it, the Sixers will be in big trouble. It's going to be a fascinating Game 7 with an Eastern Conference Finals date against the Miami Heat on the line.
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