The Celtics will host the 76ers at TD Garden tonight for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, hoping to even the series after losing the first game 119-115. The 76ers, playing without injured MVP Joel Embiid, managed to defeat the Celtics on the road in Game 1 thanks to James Harden’s game-high 45 points.
Embiid, who has been struggling with a right knee sprain, is listed as doubtful for Game 2, which could be a major blow for the 76ers. On the other hand, Marcus Smart is listed as questionable for tonight’s game.
The 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey put up an impressive 26 points in Game 1, while the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum scored 39 and Jaylen Brown added 23. The game was closely contested throughout, with the 76ers trailing by one point with 8.1 seconds remaining before Harden drained a crucial three-pointer to put his team ahead. Paul Reed then made two clutch free throws with 4.1 seconds left on the clock to seal the win for the 76ers.
The Celtics, who lost to the Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals, will be looking to bounce back in front of their home fans and avoid falling behind 2-0 in the series. Meanwhile, the 76ers will be eager to prove that they can compete without Embiid and make a deep run in this year’s playoffs.
The winner of the series will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals and face either the Knicks or the Heat.
Ahead of tonight’s game, the Celtics are considered favorites amongst bookmakers, with NBA lines site Betway pricing them at -334 to beat the 76ers. The NBA odds for Philadelphia to win this game are at +300.
