Tag Archives: sixers

Ben Simmons adds fuel to the Celtics-76ers Rivalry

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The Celtics-Sixers feud is starting to heat up

The teams faced off against each other four times in the regular season, and again in the Eastern Conference finals. Things got heated, and each game they played became must-see television. Joel Embiid got in a scuffle with Terry Rozier, and also had an altercation with Marcus Morris during the series. He’s been very vocal about his desire to beat the Celtics, and now Ben Simmons has joined the fray.

The Quote

Simmons said during an interview, “We’ve got to get past Boston, those are the guys at the top right now. Beating them, that’s our next goal. Obviously getting further than the second round and winning the Eastern Conference Finals and then moving on to the Finals.”

Via CBS Sports

What It Means

It’s clear that he and the Sixers know who the alpha dog is in the East. Including both the playoffs and regular season, the Celtics were 7-2 against Philadelphia last season. Interestingly, of the three playoff series Boston played, the Sixers were the only team not to take it the full seven games. They have a ways to go to become serious threats to the team.

However, they certainly have the potential to do so. Simmons isn’t even close to his prime yet, and Embiid is just entering his. If Markelle Fultz finally lives up to his number one pick, this team could have the firepower to challenge Boston. Now that Simmons has publicly identified beating the Celtics as the Sixers’ goal, they’re going to be ready to meet the challenge.

Via NBC Sports

It won’t take long to see if Philly can back up their young star’s words. The two teams meet on opening night in the TD Garden. They’ll also see each other again on Christmas Day. Be prepared to grab the popcorn – this rivalry is only getting started.

Celtics Set to Run the East after Lebron Signs with Lakers

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Celtics Ready for Finals Run After Lebron Signing

Well, there it is. LeBron James finally made his long-awaited decision, signing with the Los Angeles Lakers after months of speculation. The deal is worth $154 million over four years, with a player option in the last year. This signing will undoubtedly send Lakers fans into crazed states of excitement, but Celtics fans should also be rejoicing. This moves clears the way for the team to waltz into the NBA Finals.

https://twitter.com/KlutchSports/status/1013574315411849216

A Weakened East

Now that Lebron has spurned the Cavaliers (again), it’s time for the Celtics to finally make their move. Toronto had another successful regular season last year, but they choked in the playoffs again and fired their head coach. The Sixers have intriguing young pieces, but the Celtics easily dispatched them in the playoffs. The Bucks still have Giannis Antetokounmpo, but don’t have many strong players around him. The Pacers have a young star in Victor Oladipo, but not much otherwise.

Aside from these four teams, there isn’t really anyone else to compete in the Eastern Conference. The East was already the weaker conference, and now they are far inferior to the Western Conference. Boston should have no trouble moving past each and every one of these teams.

Oh, and in case you forgot, Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward are returning.

Photo via Getty Images

A Strengthened West

Of course, now the West is absolutely stacked. The Warriors, Rockets, Thunder, Jazz, Trail Blazers, and now the Lakers are all legitimate contenders. The Pelicans, Spurs, and Timberwolves are all also good teams. They’ll all have to fight each other to reach the Finals. If these teams can weaken each other in a fistfight to the top, the Celtics will be golden.

Of course, the Warriors are still the Warriors, there’s Lebron over there now, and the Rockets are always tough. However, the Celtics proved last year that they can hang with anyone in the league. If the whole team is healthy when it matters, this team can cause a ruckus in the playoffs.

Bottom Line

Bottom line is, the Celtics are now in a great position to contend for a title. There’s still a lot of free agency to go. The Kawhi situation has yet to unfold. The NBA landscape can still drastically change before the regular season commences. However, it feels like everything is coming up Celtics these days. With the biggest Celtics killer in recent history out of the way, this could be the year that Boston finally returns to basketball’s biggest stage. It could all go wrong, obviously, like it did this year. But if it doesn’t, the league should be on notice.

P.S. Prepare for a renewed Celtics-Lakers rivalry. Kyrie and Co. against Lebron and the Lake Show is going to be must-watch TV.

Photo via Getty Images

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