(Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
The Celtics have been a thorn in the Sixers side for what seems to be forever. I thought last night was finally going to be the night that ended – the night that the Sixers would get the monkey off their back. The Celtics were without Kyrie and the “new look Sixers” lineup has looked great since the trade was made. Unfortunately, that was not the case last night in Philly.
It is hard to find words to describe last night. Outside of the Cowboys, there isn’t a team I hate more than the Celtics. I’ve hated them since Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce knocked the Iverson-led Sixers out of the playoffs in ‘02. For those older than me, I’m sure that stems from the Larry Bird days. What makes last night more frustrating is the Sixers are the more talented team. It was just little things that gave the Celtics the edge.
They used a shorter rotation than the Sixers. They abused the mismatches on offense when McConnell and Redick were on the floor. I love both players, but against the Celtics, they cannot end the game with them on the floor. It just creates to many problems defensively, and it doesn’t let you switch everything. It’s also immensely frustrating that Embiid has his way with every top center in the league, but when he plays 32-year-old Al Horford, he struggles.
The Sixers have got to figure this out by playoff time because chances are at some point in the playoffs, they will have to play the Celtics. The gap has been closed. Boston is no longer a much better team than the Sixers. The Sixers have the length and talent to matchup with them. For their own sanity, the March matchup in Philly is a must-win. They have to win that game and get the monkey off their back before the postseason. If they don’t, the psychological edge the Celtics have on them will continue to grow.
