The Philadelphia 76ers weren’t presupposed to win this collection. Not towards Boston, not because the decrease seed, and positively not below the circumstances they had been coping with. And but, right here they’re. They usually have overwhelmed Boston in a collection for the primary time because the 80s.
Beating the second-seeded Celtics in a Recreation 7 has utterly modified the tone round this workforce, turning what as soon as appeared like a misplaced season into one thing much more formidable. The fan base is dreaming once more.
Not cautiously, however brazenly, as a result of whenever you take down a workforce like Boston, the ceiling all of the sudden feels a lot larger than it did simply weeks in the past. However the query is not what they simply did. It’s whether or not they can do it once more.
Joel Embiid turned the collection into one thing private
The whole lot begins with Joel Embiid, and on this case, all the pieces modified due to him. After lacking a lot of the common season and present process an appendectomy shortly earlier than the playoffs, his return in the midst of the collection might have been restricted, cautious, and gradual.
As an alternative, it was decisive, nearly overwhelming, as he stepped again onto the court docket and instantly took management in a manner that resembled a Finals MVP efficiency slightly than a participant coming back from surgical procedure.
He didn’t ease into the second. He outlined it. That form of impression shifts all the pieces, however it additionally raises a very powerful query transferring ahead: can he maintain it?
The Philadelphia 76ers supporting solid rose precisely when wanted
Embiid was the centerpiece, however this was not a one-man collection. Paul George, coming back from a suspension associated to banned substances, delivered when it mattered, bringing scoring and composure that helped stabilize the workforce in essential stretches.
Tyrese Maxey was spectacular, enjoying with tempo and confidence, whereas rookie VJ Edgecombe stepped into the highlight with a degree of fearlessness that didn’t match his expertise.
Even Kelly Oubre, who didn’t dominate the stat sheet, performed a job that mattered. His power, physicality, and willingness to get below Boston’s pores and skin disrupted rhythm and added an edge that doesn’t at all times present in numbers however turns into seen in how a collection unfolds.
The Boston Celtics by no means absolutely discovered their rhythm
For the Celtics, the collection by no means fairly aligned. Jayson Tatum, coming back from a protracted Achilles harm absence that saved him out for a lot of the common season, struggled to discover a constant rhythm, and that inconsistency echoed all through the workforce.
Boston had the expertise, however not the cohesion, particularly within the moments the place execution turns into all the pieces. That opened the door.
Philadelphia didn’t simply reap the benefits of it, they pressured it wider, making use of strain in key moments and capitalizing on each stretch the place Boston appeared unsure. By the point Recreation 7 arrived, the momentum had already shifted.
Can the Philadelphia 76ers maintain this degree?
That is the place actuality units in. Profitable one collection like that is spectacular. Repeating it throughout a number of rounds is one thing else completely, particularly when so many variables stay unsure. Embiid’s well being is the most important one, as a result of all the pieces will depend on his means to remain on the ground at this degree of dominance.
Round him, the questions proceed. Can Paul George preserve his stability and consistency? Can Oubre translate his toughness into extra tangible manufacturing when wanted? Can a rookie like Edgecombe proceed to carry out at close to All-Star degree below growing strain? And might Maxey absolutely embrace the position of chief amongst veterans as expectations rise?
These are usually not small questions. They outline the distinction between a fantastic second and a championship run. In the event that they reply these questions properly, Sixers followers might hope.
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