Celtics vs Sixers: Brown's Showdown, Embiid's Absence

0:00It's April 18th. Welcome to Boston Celtics News today, AI-powered coverage of your squad. The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers are set for a playoff rematch in the 2026 Eastern Conference first round, kicking off. Game 1 Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern on ABC from TD Garden. These squads win seven games back in the 2023 playoffs with Boston Advancing, and now the Celtics enter as heavy favorites at minus. 12 and a half. Jalen Brown owned this season with MVP level numbers, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. Jason Tatum's back healthy after missing most of the year, boosting Boston's firepower, while Phillies without Joel imbi'd again, tanking their defense to one of the league's worst marks. Fans are buzzing about Boston's home dominance, where they've outscored opponents without imbi'd by over 17 points for game in recent visits. The regular season series split two games each, but the sixers struggled big time on the Celtics floor, highlighting Phillies' road woes.

1:05New intel points to Brown exploding for over 36.5 points, rebounds, and assists, with experts eyeing a Celtics blowout in total. Under 2.13.5, thanks to Boston's elite defense and slow pace, Tatum's rebounding surge, Agen 10 a game, could feast without imbi'd anchoring the paint. Expect Brown to lead the charge early, setting a tone for Boston's deep run after last year's playoff led down, while Phillie fights from behind in this. Grudge match.