Celtics, 76ers ready for Game 7 at TD Garden for spot in East finals vs. Heat
BOSTON (AP)— Joe Mazzulla’s Game 7 experience has been as an assistant coach,including last year when the Celtics won two of them on their wayto the NBA Finals.
One of themwas a 28-point blowout.
The otherwas a one-possession game in the final seconds.
“We knowhow to win easy and we know how to battle to the death,” the rookiehead coach said Saturday as he prepared for his firstwinner-take-all game as the No. 1 guy. “Definitely looking forwardto Game 7.”
The Celticswill meet the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday for the last remainingspot in the NBA’s final four. It’s just the second series to reacha seventh game so far this postseason.
“We knowwhat we have to do,” said Sixers center Joel Embiid, who wascrowned as the NBA MVP during the series. “It’s going to be fun.Game 7. That’s what we play, for these types of games.”
The Celticsearned the home-court advantage by finishing three games ahead ofPhiladelphia in the standings; Boston also won three of the fourmatchups in the regular season. (The winner of Sunday’s game willalso have home-court edge in the NBA Finals, if they can eliminateMiami in the Eastern Conference finals.)
But playingat the TD Garden hasn’t been such an advantage for Boston: TheCeltics have gone just 7-9 in their last 16 home playoff games — afar cry from the days when playing on the parquet was almost a surething.
Bostonswingman Jaylen Brown has heard the complaints from fans who’vewatched the team cough up big leads and give away games in bothplayoff series so far this postseason.
And thefeeling is mutual.
“Celticsfans, they love to call us out, right? So I’m gonna call you guysout this time,” Brown said after theCelticswon in Philadelphia on Thursday nightto force a seventhgame. “Energy in the Garden has been OK at best all playoffs. Game7, if you’re there or if you’re not there, if you’re watching at abar, if you’re watching down the street at a friend’s house, Idon’t care. I need you to be up, I need you to come with theenergy, because we’re gonna need every bit of it. So I’m callingyou guys out. Let’s make sure the Garden is ready to go.”
76ERS ATCELTICS
Series tied3-3. Game 7, 3:30 p.m. EDT, Sunday, ABC
— NEED TOKNOW: The Celtics are 26-9 in Game 7s all-time, including two winslast year on their way to the NBA Finals. The Sixers are 6-11,losing their all three winner-take-all games since their last tripto the NBA Finals in 2001.
— KEEP ANEYE ON: Celtics’ starting lineup. Coach Joe Mazzulla insertedRobert Williams III into the lineup for Game 6, putting himalongside Al Horford to combat newly crowned NBA MVP Joel Embiid.The Celtics jumped to a 15-3 lead.
— INJURYWATCH: Since returning from a right knee injury that kept him outof Game 1, Embiid has not shown any lingering effects. The Celticshave a clean injury report except for Danilo Gallinari, who hasmissed the entire season with a torn ACL.
— PRESSUREIS ON: Sixers coach Doc Rivers has blown 3-1 leads in seven-gameseries three times in his career. Philadelphia was up 3-2 overBoston this year, but another collapse would add to his reputationfor collapses. He has lost nine Game 7s — four more than any othercoach, according to ESPN.
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