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Philadelphia 76ers (4-2, 0-0) at Boston Celtics (4-2,0-0)
Eastern Conference Semi Finals
Saturday, May 12, 2012
8:00 PM ET
Playoff Game #7, Home Game #4
TV: TNT, TSN2
Radio: WEEI, 97.5 The Fanatic
TD Garden
Probable Starters 
PG: Rajon Rondo 16.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 11.8 APG, + 24.6 EFF *
SG: Avery Bradley 7.2 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 0.7 APG, +5.17 EFF
C: Kevin Garnett 18.7 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, +25.17 EFF
SF: Paul Pierce 21.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.8 APG, + 19.67 EFF
PF: Brandon Bass 9.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 0.5 APG, +11.00 EFF
* Playoff Statistics
Coach: Doc Rivers
Celtics ReservesGreg Stiemsma
JaJuan Johnson
E'Twaun Moore
Marquis Daniels
Sasha Pavlovic
Ray Allen
Keyon Dooling
Ryan Hollins
Mickael Pietrus
InjuredPaul Pierce (knee) probable
Mickael Pietrus (hamstring) probable
Avery Bradley (shoulder) probable
Ray Allen (ankle) day to day
Greg Stiemsma (feet) probable
Probable Starters 
PG: Jrue Holiday 18.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.7 APG, +18.33 EFF
SG: Evan Turner 11.7 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.8 APG, +11.83 EFF
C: Spencer Hawes 11.5 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, +16.17 EFF
SF: Andre Iguodala 12.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.5 APG, +14.33 EFF
PF: Elton Brand 8.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 0.7 APG, +11.33
Sixers Reserves Thaddeus Young
Sam Young
Nikola Vucevic
Lou Williams
Tony Battie
Craig Brackins
Lavoy Allen
Jodie Meeks
Craig Brackens
Injuries None
Key Matchups 
vs
Paul Pierce vs Andre Iguodala
Both of these players were all stars and both are key to their team's success. Pierce came up big for the Celtics in the first round as did Iguodala for the Sixers. Pierce was practicing with a brace on both knees and has alternated between playing inspired basketball and being a step too slow. Hopefully he comes out inspired in this one.
vs
Rajon Rondo vs Jrue Holiday
As has been the case so many times, as Rondo goes, so go the Celtics. They will need him to be aggressive and to set the pace for the game. Holiday has been playing very well for the Sixers and so Rondo will need to defend well, along with running the offense effectively.
Honorable Mention Kevin Garnett vs Spencer Hawes
KG has been on another level in these playoffs and once again he will be matched up against an athletic big man. KG's defense and rebounding will be needed just as much, if not more in this series.
Key Off the Bench
Ray Allen has been playing through pain and after game 6 said that his ankle was really bothering him. He is back to being listed as day to day once again. The Celtics really need his scoring off the bench since Pietrus has been very ineffective offensively so far in the playoffs.
Lou Williams gives the Sixers a boost off the bench scoring almost 13 points per game. He came up with a big shot in game 6 to help them advance and he can be a dangerous scorer if left open.
Keys to the Game Defense - As always, defense is key to winning. Period. The Celtics must play tough in your face defense from start to finish. They can't let themselves get caught up in a shoot out and must concentrate on getting stops. The offense feeds off the defense and so tough defense is absolutely the key to a win and the series.
Rebound - The Sixers are a good rebounding team, ranking 7th in the league at 43.2 rebounds per game in the regular season. The Celtics finished the season ranked 30th at 38.8 rpg. However, both teams are dead even in the playoffs at 41.17 rebounds per game. Much of rebounding is effort and the Celtics have got to continue to crash the boards as a team since the team that wins the rebounding battle will more than likely win the war.
Take Care of the Ball - The Celtics tend to turn the ball over way too much. In the regular season, the Celtics averaged 14.8 TO per game while Philly averaged 12.8. In the playoffs, the Celtics have cut their turnovers to 12.8 per game while the Sixers have cut theirs down even more to 9.8, in spite of playing an excellent defensive team in the Bulls. The Celtics must move the ball and find the open man without making sloppy passes and turning the ball over. Doc has singled out limiting turnovers as the most important thing they have to do. They must keep their focus and take care of the ball as the Sixers will make them pay if they don't.
Bench Play - The Celtics need to get quality minutes from their bench. With the injuries and fatigue becoming a factor as they move further into the playoffs, they have to find a way to rest their starters without giving up a lead or digging a hole. With Ray once again being day to day, Pietrus, Dooling and others must step up to give the Celtics some scoring off the bench and some preservation of the starters.
Control the Pace - Doc mentioned that the Celtics were about to take on a bunch of gazelles. The Sixers do like to run and they like to keep the game at a fast pace. The Celtics have got to find a way to slow the pace of the game down. They can do this by taking care of the ball, crashing the boards and playing tough defense.
Game Notes As we begin this series, we can just throw out the regular season in which the Sixers were 2-1 vs the Celtics. The Celtics won by 24 points on their home court while the Sixers won by 13 and 32 in Philly. What makes the regular season especially different from this series is that in each of the regular season games, the Celtics were playing in back to back games (including one after an OT game on the road) and Philly was off the night before each. Besides that, we know that the playoff Celtics are a different breed from the regular season Celtics.
While in the Celtics' first round series, both teams were affected by injuries, it's a different story in this series. The Sixers come into this series healthy and with no injuries listed. The Celtics on the other hand come into the series bruised and battered with Pierce (knee), Allen (ankle), Stiemsma (feet), Bradley (shoulder) and Pietrus (hamstring) all nursing injuries. I'm not sure if the Sixers are harbingers of bad luck but teams that play them seem to end up with injuries. The Bulls lost Rose, Noah and Gibson all to injuries in their first round series. The last time the Celtics played the Sixers in Philly, Mickael Pietrus had to be taken off the court on a stretcher. Not a good track record on their part.
Both teams are coming off a 6 game series. Both teams won their series without home court. Because the Sixers are the 8th seed, the Celtics will have home court in this series. Twelve out of twelve of the ESPN "experts" picked the Celtics to win this series. Most believe the Celtics are the better team. Injuries will be a factor. The Celtics especially need Paul Pierce to be effective and to play well.
Don't expect a lot of bulletin board material from the Sixers. I have a feeling that after hearing KG's press conference, Doug Collins called his players in and threatened them to within an inch of their lives not to say anything negative about the Celtics. I listened to Andre Iguodala on ESPN Radio and you would think he was doing PR for the Celtics. No, KG isn't dirty. He's just passionate and a great player. No, the Celtics aren't old. They are experienced. Doc is the best coach in the league. The Celtics are all wonderful. Not even a hint of anything negative.
It will be important for the Celtics to get off to a quick start in this game and in the series. They have to come out strong, hit the Sixers hard, and never look back.
X-FactorInjuries, Officiating, and Home Court
The Sixers are healthy. The Celtics are not. Can the Celtics overcome their injuries to play effectively? Whether we like it or not, officiating does have an effect on the games. So far, the officiating has been pretty good for the Celtics and hopefully it will continue that way. And finally, the Celtics have home court and hopefully they will get a boost from the home crowd.
Topic: Sixers (0-0) at Celtics (0-0) ECSF Game 1 (Read 116846 times)