The Philadelphia 76ers' Game 2 performance against the Boston Celtics may have been the stuff of nightmares. But make no mistake about it, they will be heading back home to Philadelphia pleased with a 1-1 series split. And now with Joel Embiid back from what seemed to be a serious knee injury that threatened to keep him out for weeks, the Sixers cannot afford to let a golden opportunity to take a commanding series lead get away from them. Here we'll be making a few bold predictions for whether or not the Sixers can defend homecourt in Game 3.
Is Embiid a candidate for the dreaded Ewing Theory? Certainly not. There's not a reasonable case for anyone to make that the Sixers are a better team without the services of the 2023 NBA MVP, even with Embiid possessing a worrying 1-9 record against the Celtics all-time in the playoffs.
It's difficult to blame Joel Embiid too much for those losses anyway; the Sixers just did not have enough firepower to match the Celtics' top-to-bottom better depth in 2018, and in 2020, Embiid did not have much help and the clunky roster fit did not help matters one bit.
Of course, in 2023, there's considerable worry surrounding Embiid's knee, and just how much it will bother him for the next few games. There's no way Embiid is missing the playoffs for the world especially after talking (and walking) his talk for much of the season, but will his injury prove to be too much to overcome? And if Embiid fails to play at his usual level, can the Sixers' supporting cast compensate?
The Sixers definitely have the talent to make the Celtics sweat. But can they put it all together in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead?
Here are 3 bold predictions for how the Sixers would perform on Friday against the Celtics.
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
3. Tobias Harris becomes worth his contract, even for just one game
“Tobias Harris over me?” is a question that may forever haunt the Sixers franchise. Due to some tricky locker-room politics, the Sixers decided to let go of Jimmy Butler, instead re-signing Harris in 2019 to a huge contract that makes him one of the most handsomely paid players in the entire league.
That, however, is where the problem lies. Harris is a solid, efficient scoring option, and his size allows him to stay on the floor on the defensive end. But there's not a particular part of his game that stands out. Simply put, Harris may not be a bad player, but his level of production isn't exactly the most proportionate to his contract.
As the Tobias Harris meme goes, when the Sixers need 10 points, he gives you 20. When the Sixers need 30 from him, he gives you 20. But in Game 3, the prediction here is that Harris explodes beyond belief.
With Joel Embiid still working out the kinks in his return from injury, the Sixers will need the likes of Harris and Tyrese Maxey to give James Harden the support he needs. And in Game 3, it's Harris that, at least for game, does the job on both ends of the floor, scoring efficiently and defending either Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown at a high level.
2. Joel Embiid struggles again, but James Harden picks up the slack this time
As well as Joel Embiid performed throughout the 2022-23 season, it's simply not fair to expect someone with a tear on his knee, no matter how serious it may be, to continue playing like he's not hurting. In Game 2, it was clear that Embiid is still working his way back to 100 percent. But with the quick turnaround for Game 3, it may be too soon to expect a monster night from the MVP.
James Harden stole the show in Game 1 with a magnificent 45-point performance culminating in a nasty stepback triple over Al Horford to give the Sixers the win. In Game 2, however, Harden shot just 2-14. Nevertheless, Harden is one of the most gifted offensive players of his generation, and with a raucous home crowd behind him, he may very well be on track to yet another monster night to lead the Sixers to victory.
1. Sixers win with margin of victory less than or equal to five points
A battle of two heavyweights, it sure seems like the series between the Sixers and Celtics is the most evenly matched among the four remaining matchups. Both have MVP-caliber talents who can take over at any time, a secondary star who can function as the best player in a vast majority of other teams, and members of the supporting cast who can turn the game upside down.
Barring an unforeseen collapse from either team, this crucial Game 3 should be a close-run thing once more like Game 1, with the Sixers coming out on top thanks to James Harden's scoring outburst and Tobias Harris' eye-popping two-way play.
Follow Us
Subscribe