After a lot of basketball, the second round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs is almost here. Now, teams are one step closer to hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy. That is the case for both the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics. With the Eastern Conference Semifinals set to kick off on Monday, it means it is time for some Sixers NBA Playoffs bold predictions.

Philadelphia finished the regular season with a 54-28 record, a three-win improvement from the previous season, 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.

The Sixers are coming off a 4-0 victory over the the Brooklyn Nets in the first round. They are the only team to complete a sweep in this year's playoffs so far.

On the other side of the matchup, 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 them the second-best record in the entire league, trailing only the ousted Milwaukee Bucks.

In the first round, the Celtics eliminated the Atlanta Hawks 4-2.

Now in the second round, the battle between the Sixers and Celtics could make one of the best series in recent memory. With that being said, here are some bold predictions for the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics.

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3. Sixers have serious problems containing both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown

If the Sixers want to advance to the conference finals, they need to come up with a plan to stop both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Both players are coming off career years in the league and are leading the Celtics in the playoffs.

In the regular season, Tatum averaged a career-high 30.1 points, 8.8 boards and 4.6 assists per game. He shot 46.6% from the field, 35% from beyond the arc and 85.4% from the free-throw line. He ended up earning his fourth consecutive All-Star selection and even received some MVP buzz late in the season.

Brown had a career-best 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists. His shooting splits were 49.1% from the field, 33.5% from 3-point land and 76.5% from the charity stripe. He received his second All-Star nod and could make an All-NBA team for the first time in his seven-year career.

So far in the playoffs, Tatum and Brown are scoring 27.2 and 26.7 points a contest, respectively. Both players are shooting better than 45% from the field, with Brown even hitting 51.5% of his 3-pointers. They also put the Hawks away for good in Thursday's Game 6, Brown and Tatum combining for consecutive highlight-reel sequences on both ends of the floor in crunch-time.

Without impact wing defender Matisse Thybulle after moving him at the trade deadline, the Sixers will have problems guarding the duo. The bold prediction is Philadelphia will have serious issues against Tatum and Brown throughout the second round. Even if they can contain one of them, the other could easily go off.

2. Joel Embiid efficiently averages 25+ points, 10+ rebounds and 2+ blocks for the series

As for the Sixers, they will need everything they can get from Joel Embiid. The big man is coming off a big season, generally considered the frontrunner to win MVP over fellow finalists Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

In the regular season, he put up 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. He made 54.8% of his field goals, 33% of his 3-pointers and 85.7% of his free-throw attempts.

However, Embiid has not been able to replicate his numbers this postseason. The center averaged 20 points, 11.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists with 2.3 blocks and a steal versus Brooklyn. His shooting splits were just 46.2% from the field and 12.5% from long range, considerably down from the regular season. He also turned over the ball five times per contest.

It is worth noting that Embiid ended up missing Game 4 of the first round due to a sprained right knee. His status for the series opener in Boston on Monday is still up in the air.

The bold prediction is that, even if he misses a game or two, Embiid will bounce back once he returns. Expect him to average at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks on solid efficiency in the second round. Should that happen, the Sixers will have a good chance of eliminating the Celtics.

1. Series goes at least six games

Even if Embiid misses a game or two, Philadelphia and Boston could make this series one of the best of this year's playoffs. Both Tatum and Brown had All-NBA-caliber seasons and should be crucial in this round. Embiid had an MVP-worthy season and James Harden and Tyrese Maxey had their moments versus the Nets.

The Celtics are the favorites to win the series, according to FanDuel. Currently, the odds are -310 in favor of Boston. However, the spread for the series is just -1.5.

The bold prediction is that this series will be the best among all Conference Semifinal matchups. Philadelphia-Boston should go at least least six games, and do not be surprised if the teams need a Game 7 to determine a winner.