How Celtics' return to team identity could power a Celtics Game 7 bounce back

22 hours ago 4

The Boston Celtics have now lost back-to-back games since they went up 3-1 on the Philadelphia 76ers, and their backs are against the wall. Now, they are heading to Game 7, and whoever takes this game moves on.

Game 7 makes the rest of the series not really matter, which players have noted. It’s win or go home. Boston needs to show up as the better team, and they can do that by remembering their team identity.

The Celtics lost their identity this series

In the games the Celtics have won, it’s because they knew their identity. Set the pace, pass until you have an open shooter, put up a three, rinse, repeat. However, in their losses, they somehow forget this. They start playing in isolation, limit passes, and force up bad shots, putting them into a bad rhythm.

If the Celtics continue this into Game 7, they really will need to figure something out this offseason. They set themselves up for massive success in the regular season, and might let it slip away in the first round of the playoffs.

Philly regained theirs

A real key reason for those back-to-back losses was the return of Joel Embiid. While he didn’t help much in his playoff debut, in the past two games he has been a key contributor, scoring in the paint, creating fouls, and grabbing boards. The resurgence of Paul George has also been a key factor, giving the Sixers multiple stars to turn to.

Philly’s identity is centered around their MVP big man. Boston’s coach Joe Mazzulla noted this too, and stated that Philly found their identity because of him.

“"We haven't played that well and they played well. I think obviously the series has changed once Embiid came back ... we have to be able to adjust to that identity that they found and get our identity for Game 7,” Mazzulla stated (via Celtics on CLNS).

How Boston can win

It’s quite simple. Listen to Mazzulla, and go back to their regular season identity. While it’s slow pace, they need constant motion through passing and quick dribbles to open up shooters. Enough passes and someone will be open, leading to an uncontested three.

If the Celtics want to not go down in history as the first Boston team to choke a 3-1 lead, they really need to remember who they are. They cannot play to Philly’s tune, and they need to set the pace.

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