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The Celtics should enter Wednesday night’s Game 6 showdown with the 76ers feeling somewhat embarrassed for allowing the series to last this long. They have dominated the five games, only to have Philadelphia steal two games with better fourth-quarter execution.
Before this Eastern Conference semifinal series started, 76ers coach Doug Collins described the Celtics as one of the league’s best third-quarter teams.
At first glance, you’d never know the 76ers’ season was on the line as they prepared to play the Celtics in Game 6.
Celtics guard Avery Bradley traveled with the team in preparation for Game 6, but his status for Wednesday night’s contest has not been determined.
Before coach Doug Collins had his Philadelphia 76ers look ahead to Game 6, he had them rewind the tape to a dusty Game 7.
There was a high level of regret for Doc Rivers upon reflection.
The Celtics have been doing business like this for 55 years. In a 2-2-1-1-1- series, they take ownership of Game 5.
Turnovers and missed opportunities turned a Philadelphia lead into a loss that put the Celtics one win away from the conference final.
In an NBA season shortened and condensed by a lockout, bench players have been more important than ever - even in the playoffs, when teams normally shorten their rotations.
Kevin Garnett will miss the TD Garden crowd when the Celtics visit Philadelphia for Game 6 of their playoff series Wednesday night.
An extra day of rest and a Brandon Bass breakout were all the Celtics needed to regain their advantage in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
They started as a Big Three and grew to a Big Four when Rajon Rondo earned the right to be mentioned along with the other Boston Celtics All-Stars.
PHILADELPHIA (85) Iguodala 3-10 1-4 8, Brand 8-13 3-4 19, Hawes 4-8 2-2 10, Holiday 4-6 0-0 10, Turner 5-13 1-2 11, Meeks 0-3 0-0 0, L.Allen 6-6 0-0 12, T.Young 3-8 0-0 6, L.Williams 3-10 3-4 9, Silas 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 36-77 10-16 85. BOSTON (101) Pierce 3-7 9-9 16, Bass 9-13 9-10 27, Garnett 8-17 4-5 20, ...
PHILADELPHIA - One of the things 76ers coach Doug Collins has mentioned is his team’s need for movement, for action, the need to not have the offense stand still. The team can’t compete by launching a bunch of jump shots. Cutting, driving, and passing in the paint are musts.
WALTHAM - There was a reason for the Celtics’ defensive struggles in the second half of Game 4 against the 76ers Friday night. Coach Doc Rivers stuck with his small lineup down the stretch, hoping to boost the offense. The result was an offensive boon for the 76ers, especially forward Andre Iguodala, who scored 8 points in the final 3:11 of the Philadelphia win.
WALTHAM - The disappointment and regret the Celtics felt after blowing an 18-point lead in Game 4 against the 76ers was apparent at Sunday’s practice. The Celtics now must respond in Game 5 at TD Garden Monday night or face an even more desperate situation.
As you watch the Celtics submit their own peculiar brand of Jekyll-Hyde basketball, please keep in mind one thing.
PHILADELPHIA - Common sense says that an older team, a team with more minutes - individually and collectively - would benefit more from two days off than a younger team. The Sixers agree. So, with two days off between Game 4 and Monday night’s Game 5 at TD Garden, the Sixers believe the Celtics got a little help from the scheduling gods.
The Celtics player who needs a break the most this postseason isn't 34-year-old Paul Pierce, who's nursing a knee injury. Or 36-year old Ray Allen, who's got bone spurs in his ankle. Or even Kevin Garnett, who turned 36 on Saturday but is playing like he did a decade ago.
It always seemed as though Larry Bird’s 15-year tenure with the Pacers has been on borrowed time. He never looked comfortable on the sideline, as if he were counting the seconds before he could retire and return to French Lick.
Going into Friday night’s game, there were multiple members of the Sixers who had underperformed or even disappeared in this series against the Celtics . Lou Williams was one of them, not able to demonstrate the shot-making, shot-creating ability that made Celtics coach Doc Rivers nervous before the series.
There is plenty of time to process the effects of the 76ers’ second-half stuffing of the Celtics before the teams meet in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series Monday night in Boston.
Andre Iguodala is winning games for the Sixers and winning over Philadelphia with each clutch basket.
Andre Iguodala squared up for a 3-pointer from the wing like he had hundreds of times in his career.
PHILADELPHIA - Ray Allen’s reputation has caught up with him. The 76ers paid special attention to Allen in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, limiting him to one field goal attempt - a first-half layup.
Coach Doug Collins stuck with Elton Brand in the starting lineup, but it was Lavoy Allen who took out Kevin Garnett.
It appeared to be going far too smoothly for the Celtics fans back home - along with a surprisingly large and vocal contingent wearing varying shades of green inside the Wells Fargo Center Friday night.
Would you have expected the Celtics to take any other route? The prosperity was just too much to take with an 18-point lead in the third quarter of Game 4 against the 76ers . The Celtics were playing too well, almost to the point where Celtics faithful expected a dramatic dropoff.
A major part of the 76ers’ recipe for success in Games 2 and 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals has been to limit the offense of the Celtics’ Kevin Garnett .
The tomato cans were falling down in front of the Celtics . No Bulls. The Heat on the brink of self-immolation. The Celtics had a 2-1 series lead over the Sixers and an 18-point lead in the third quarter of Game 4. They were toying with the young bucks from Philly.
Despite Brand’s ineffectiveness, Collins vows not to replace him with Lavoy Allen.
Withstanding figurative punches and fighting back against the 76ers has been a Celtic theme during the Eastern Conference semifinals. And with former light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins sitting courtside, Game 4 turned into a brawl, Philadelphia rallying for a 92-83 victory, evening the series going into Monday’s Game 5.
Andre Iguodala snapped a tie game with five straight points in the final 90 seconds to help the Philadelphia 76ers storm back from 15 points down in the first half and stun the Boston Celtics 92-83 on Friday night in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
BOSTON (83) Pierce 8-13 4-4 24, Bass 6-10 3-4 15, Garnett 3-12 3-4 9, Rondo 7-14 1-1 15, Bradley 2-6 3-4 8, Hollins 1-2 0-0 2, R.Allen 2-6 0-0 5, Pietrus 1-4 2-2 5, Dooling 0-4 0-0 0, Daniels 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-71 16-19 83. PHILADELPHIA (92) Iguodala 5-12 3-6 16, Brand 1-2 1-2 3, Hawes 1-5 0-0 2, ...
Sixers coach Doug Collins took his team to the movies yesterday - for a horror show.
Even though they’re no longer playing, the Atlanta Hawks have taught the Sixers one important lesson: Don’t call Kevin Garnett and the Celtics old.
Celtics coach Doc Rivers was not taking a “mission accomplished’’ attitude about winning a game on the road in the Eastern Conference semifinals to take a 2-1 series lead over the 76ers into Friday night’s game.
A media columnist’s confession: When the choice is between a national broadcast and Comcast SportsNet New England’s presentation of a Celtics game, the remote control leads me to the latter pretty much every time.
Rajon Rondo is not sure what the 76ers are going to throw at him in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Friday night. But he is prepared for the unexpected.
Kevin Garnett turns 36 on Saturday, a youthful age for any man, except for the rare ones with nearly 55,000 punishing minutes absorbed on an NBA floor.
After taking a game in Boston, the Sixers couldn’t protect their newly gained home court advantage in an embarrassing loss.
No, Rick Pitino, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish didn’t come walking through that door here Wednesday night to lead the Celtics to a critical victory. But Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, and even Paul Pierce sure did.
At halftime of Game 2 at TD Garden Monday night, Charles Barkley said on TNT, “It’s 100 percent clear to me that the Celtics have zero respect for the 76ers.’’
When Doc Rivers was asked before Game 1 of the series what Sixer he would not want to have the ball in a clutch situation, he didn’t hesitate.
There has been much more ebb than flow to the Celtics' offense during the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Defense was the reason the Celtics coasted to a 107-91 victory in Game 3.
Celtics captain Paul Pierce made a concerted effort Wednesday night to make up for his 2-for-9 shooting performance in Game 2. Pierce went 2 for 10 in the opening half but finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds in Boston’s 107-91 victory over the 76ers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Kevin Garnett yapped his way down the court after big baskets and clearly enjoyed taking it to the 76ers.
BOSTON (107) Pierce 6-17 11-14 24, Bass 5-10 0-0 10, Garnett 12-17 3-5 27, Rondo 9-16 4-4 23, Bradley 0-2 0-0 0, Stiemsma 0-0 0-0 0, R.Allen 1-1 1-2 3, Pietrus 4-8 2-2 13, Hollins 1-4 1-1 3, Dooling 1-1 0-0 2, Daniels 0-0 0-0 0, Pavlovic 0-0 0-0 0, Moore 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 40-77 22-28 107. PHILADELPHIA (91) ...
Boston Celtics forward Jeff Green will return to Georgetown University this weekend to collect his diploma at graduation ceremonies after earning a degree in English with a minor in theology.
In the first two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Celtics and 76ers each have won once, by 1 point, with the games characterized by defense.
The 76ers and Celtics aren’t dead even in this series simply because an illegal screen called against Kevin Garnett denied Boston a chance to tie Game 2 Monday. Or because a couple of desperation shots by Lavoy Allen and Evan Turner somehow went through the hoop.
Welcome to the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs, or, as 98.3 percent of the country calls it, the Big Letdown.
Ray Allen led the Celtics in scoring 12 times in the first 45 games of the season. Ankle injuries have slowed Allen since, but he was resilient in Boston’s 82-81 loss to the 76ers Monday night.
Paul Pierce’s offensive arsenal will never age or go out of style. When he is 47 in 2024, he will still be backing down athletic wunderkinds half his age for a step-back jumper on the paint-chipped rims of Rogers Park in Inglewood, Calif.
See ya, Chicago. Thanks for the split, Boston. These young-and-fun 76ers are loaded with postseason surprises, aren't they?
After taking out the top seed in the Eastern Conference in the opening round of the playoffs, the Philadelphia 76er's weren't about to get discouraged by a one-point loss to Boston to start the second round.
Entering Monday night’s Game 2 of his team’s playoff series against the Celtics at TD Garden, Sixers coach Doug Collins said he wanted a repeat of at least one thing his team did in Game 1 - the way it rebounded.
The Philadelphia 76ers’ aggressiveness disrupted the Celtics’ offense in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Monday night. And the Celtics were their own worst enemies as late-game execution miscues contributed to an 82-81 loss at TD Garden.
For the longest time, it looked like it was going to be another tough night for 76ers guard Evan Turner. Missed shots, turnovers, and missed opportunities that brought memories of mistakes he made in Saturday night’s 92-91 loss to the Celtics in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series.
A night like this was expected, when the engine on Kevin Garnett’s time machine was going to sputter and Paul Pierce’s left knee would prevent him from creating any space from Andre Iguodala.
Guess what? The Celtics couldn’t impose their will on the 76ers.
It was a powerful image: Kevin Garnett, hanging off the rim for a few long moments after his alley-oop dunk tied the Celtics with the 76ers at 69 with just more than three minutes left in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at TD Garden Monday night. Turns out, it was not the last image of Garnett.
Evan Turner made the go-ahead layup with 40.4 seconds left and Philadelphia held off Boston the rest of the way with six straight free throws as the 76ers evened the second-round Eastern Conference series with an 82-81 victory Monday night.
PHILADELPHIA (82) Iguodala 5-11 2-7 13, Brand 3-5 1-2 7, Hawes 4-9 0-0 8, Holiday 7-15 0-0 18, Turner 4-11 2-2 10, L.Williams 3-13 2-2 8, L.Allen 4-7 2-2 10, T.Young 0-3 4-4 4, Meeks 1-2 2-2 4. Totals 31-76 15-21 82. BOSTON (81) Pierce 2-9 2-2 7, Bass 5-15 2-2 12, Garnett 7-12 0-1 15, Rondo 4-12 0-0 8, ...
The court has seemed less claustrophobic for the Celtics since Ray Allen’s return from an ankle injury. Allen’s 3-point threat limits opponents’ double-teaming tendencies, creating space for teammates.
Kevin Garnett has been turning back the clock with his performances since moving to the center position for the Celtics in February. Just how far back?
Celtics fans saw a bit of the versatility of the 76ers’ Evan Turner Saturday night, such as when he easily made a midrange jumper over Rajon Rondo or soared for a rebound to begin a Philadelphia fast break.
The 76ers insist they had the right plan to beat the Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Saturday night, they just dropped the ball at a few crucial moments.
Philadelphia coach Doug Collins warned his team about the Celtics' third-quarter prowess this season. Perhaps that advisory should have been extended into the fourth quarter as well.
With a chance to steal home court advantage, Philadelphia’s young team can’t close out the experienced Celtics.
Kevin Garnett’s 29-point output in the Celtics’ 92-91 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in the opener of their Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series was his highest point total since the 2008 playoffs.
The 76ers already have seen a preview of their second-round matchup with the Celtics - their series against the Bulls in the first round. Philadelphia, ranked third in the league in points against, vanquished the Bulls (first), and now gets the Celtics (second).
Kevin Garnett’s 29-point output in the Celtics’ 92-91 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in the opener of their Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series was his highest point total since the 2008 playoffs.
The 76ers already have seen a preview of their second-round matchup with the Celtics - their series against the Bulls in the first round. Philadelphia, ranked third in the league in points against, vanquished the Bulls (first), and now gets the Celtics (second).
There was nothing scribbled on the Celtics’ greaseboard after Saturday night’s 92-91 Game 1 playoff win at TD Garden. That meant no practice, a break, a chance to rest.
While Ray Allen seemed to be in vintage form in the first half of the season, his right ankle prohibited a complete renaissance at age 36. Allen has experienced trouble with his ankles before, requiring double ankle surgery to remove bone spurs during the 2006-07 season, the season prior to arriving to Boston.
While the Celtics have been the embodiment of team spirit in the NBA playoffs, Josh Beckett and the Red Sox have a huge image problem.
Rajon Rondo said he didn’t get to nap before the game, so he didn’t know what to expect when the Celtics took the floor for the first game of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Philadelphia 76ers Saturday night at TD Garden.
Garnett scored 29 points and Rondo had a 13-point, 12-rebound, 17-assist triple-double Saturday night.
There was nothing scribbled on the Celtics’ greaseboard after Saturday night’s 92-91 Game 1 playoff win at TD Garden. That meant no practice, a break, a chance to rest.
The Celtics are everybody’s favorite team in Boston this spring, but it’s hard to get too excited about a series against these Sixers.
PHILADELPHIA (91) Iguodala 7-16 2-2 19, Brand 2-5 0-2 4, Hawes 6-12 3-4 15, Holiday 3-13 2-2 8, Turner 7-13 2-2 16, T.Young 1-4 3-6 5, L.Allen 5-7 2-2 12, L.Williams 4-11 0-0 9, Meeks 1-1 0-0 3. Totals 36-82 14-20 91. BOSTON (92) Pierce 3-11 8-8 14, Bass 4-9 2-2 10, Garnett 12-20 5-5 29, Rondo 6-15 1-2 13, ...
Rajon Rondo has made dozens of last-second dashes to the basket. This time, he went in the opposite direction.
The Philadelphia 76ers have Kevin Garnett’s attention. “They don’t have one or two guys, they have five or seven guys average double figures,’’ said Garnett, whose 28-point output in the Celtics’ 83-80 Game 6 win over Atlanta Thursday night was his highest total since last year’s playoffs against Miami. “Night in and night out they play very, very ...
The Celtics and 76ers have produced some legendary playoff series, meeting 11 times since 1964 with Boston winning seven. Here are some memorable encounters:
There was a collective deep breath after the Celtics eliminated the Atlanta Hawks in six games Thursday night with a 3-point win. Those weren’t sighs of relief, however, over their next opponent.
When the Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers met during the regular season, the objective was first place in the Atlantic Division, once considered an innocuous title, a goal not worth mentioning for teams with greater expectations.
The NBA says a foul against Boston with 3.1 seconds left in Atlanta's season-ending loss on Thursday should have been called sooner, which would have given the Hawks a free throw instead of just the ball out of bounds.
The Philadelphia 76ers danced in celebration after their first-round upset of the top-seeded Chicago Bulls .
Doc Rivers knew there would be no rest for the aging Boston Celtics. The only question was whether they would be in Atlanta playing Game 7 of the first round or at home opening the Eastern Conference semifinals against Philadelphia.
Atlanta thought this was going to be the team’s year. The Hawks couldn’t make it out of the first round.
In the NCAA Tournament, they say you’ve got to “survive and advance.’’ In the NBA, you just take ’em any way you can get ’em, and then get out of Dodge before there’s a recount.
The Hawks needed all they can get from Al Horford. But how much can he give them?
Paul Pierce’s perseverance paid off for the Celtics in their 83-80 win over the Hawks Thursday night in Game 6 of their playoff series.
He is so fiercely private, shifting the same passion he displays on the court to protect his personal feelings and opinions, that it is a special occasion when he unleashes, as he did following a masterful performance in the clinching Game 6 against the Hawks.
Coach Doc Rivers made most of the right moves as the Celtics won their first-round playoff series against the Hawks in six games.
The message from the sold-out TD Garden crowd in the final seconds was loud and clear.
Kevin Garnett had 28 points and 14 rebounds, hitting a jumper to give Boston the lead with 31 seconds left, and the Celtics beat the Atlanta Hawks 83-80 in Game 6 on Thursday night to win their first-round playoff series and advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the fifth straight year.
ATLANTA (80) M.Williams 6-13 0-0 16, Smith 7-18 4-4 18, Horford 6-9 3-4 15, Teague 2-9 0-0 5, Jo.Johnson 7-17 1-1 17, Hinrich 2-5 1-1 5, Dampier 0-1 0-0 0, McGrady 2-6 0-0 4, Pargo 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-78 9-10 80. BOSTON (83) Pierce 5-11 7-8 18, Bass 3-7 0-0 6, Garnett 10-19 8-10 28, Rondo 7-14 0-0 14, ...
After the Celtics’ 87-86 Game 5 loss to the Hawks Tuesday night in Atlanta, coach Doc Rivers observed: “The playoffs are as much about mental toughness as anything else.’’
The Celtics never have squandered a 3-1 playoff series lead, but there have been two close calls, the team winning the series in seven games:
The same word keeps coming up: aggressive. Jeff Teague says it. His teammates say it. His coaches say it. To be successful, the Hawks guard needs to be more aggressive, on defense, on offense, everywhere.
