Simmons’ Sixers bounced by Baynes’ Celtics

Philadelphia overpowered the Miami Heat, 4-1, in the previous series.

Andre Iguodala led the Sixers with 18 points; Thaddeus Young had 10 rebounds; and Jrue Holiday finished the night with nine assists.

Horford was brilliant in the first round, averaging 18.1 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting almost 59 percent from the field.

Ben Simmons almost averaged a triple-double in his first playoff series, going for 18.2 points, 10.6 rebounds and nine assists per game.

The Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated from the playoffs by the Boston Celtics after a series that showcased their strengths and weaknesses.

The 76ers entered the series with 20 wins in their previous 21 games behind Simmons, the presumed Rookie of the Year, and the monstrous Embiid.

Markelle Fultz, who was “traded” from the Celtics to the Sixers, who accepted Boston’s first pick in the draft, did not play against the Celtics in the four games but has since returned. They also combined for 14 rebounds and 12 assists.

This was expected after Brown pulled his hamstring on Saturday against the Bucks. The Sixers will have to figure out Boston’s defense in order to steal Game 1 on the road.

The Celtics allowed 101.9 points per game to the Bucks. The Celtics just had more firepower and experience. So, instead of rehashing NBA Classics, we’re checking out those two most recent playoff series (both of which went the distance).

“We took care of business, so I was fine I got to rest”, Brown told reporters in the locker room following the Celtics’ 112-96 victory. The Sixers are a more balanced roster with better coaching, thus presenting Boston with a far stiffer test over the course of a seven-game set.

The Celtics are already without standouts Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving, as well as Daniel Theis. We’ll miss Jaylen; he’s definitely hard to make up for.

The Celtics have been known to attack centers with unusual double-team rotations, which could be a challenge to Joel Embiid. Apart from his strong offense, he was once again significantly impactful on the defensive end, where he anchored the Sixers incredibly well. Rookie forward Jayson Tatum can score, as evidenced by his 15.4-point average in the first round.

Marcus Smart started in Brown’s place.

“I hope so”, Brown said. Simmons has shown he’s all too comfortable taking on that sort of role.

Now it’s the 76ers that stand in the way of Boston getting back to the conference finals for the second straight year. They have tangled just twice in 1985 and the Celtics have won the last three series. But don’t sleep on JJ Redick.

What That Game 7 Might Mean For Giannis In The Future (read here): Despite the result, Andrew Perna of Real GM wrote on the experience Antetokounmpo gained by playing in a Game 7 and how other current greats around the league have propelled their team to new heights following similar experiences.