BOSTON — The Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics turn back the clock when they face each other in the Eastern Conference semifinals that begin in Boston
Monday night.
Bill Russell. Wilt Chamberlain. Larry Bird. Julius Erving. Kevin McHale. Hal Greer. Bob Cousy. Billy Cunningham.
This is the NBA’s top rivalry in terms of series played. The teams meet for the 20th time in what has always been the Celtics but also been the Syracuse
Nationals/Philadelphia Warriors/Sixers.
“They’re playing great. Got a great team
A.J. Green Bengals Jersey , great coach,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said after his team eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks Saturday night. I think everybody
talks about (Joel) Embiid and (Ben) Simmons and rightfully so, but I think it’s
… the skill that they’ve added to their team and their other young guys getting
better; and, obviously (JJ) Redick’s presence have just opened everything
up.
“And they’re a bear to play against; you can tell from the last series. I think (coach) Brett (Brown)’s terrific. On down the line. They’re terrific.”
The Sixers, who have waited through years of tanking to get back to respectability, took care of the Miami Heat in five games of the first round and
get the latest shot at their long-time rivals.
Their fans chanted “We want Boston,” during their Game 5 and they have them.
Asked Sunday for keys to defeating the Celtics, Sixers coach Brett Brown said, “Just how you’re gonna score. … They’re an excellent defensive team. We
respect them with what they do defensively and I think they’re clever
offensively.
“They’ve got the ability to bother you because the team really can shoot 3s.”
The teams, which first met in the playoffs when the Sixers were the Syracuse Nationals (think Larry Costello)
Brian O'Neill Jersey , haven’t met in the postseason since 2012 and have played twice since 1985. They have tangled just twice in 1985 and the Celtics have won
the last three series. Philly’s last win came in 1982.
The Celtics needed seven games to dispose of Doug Collins’ Sixers in 2012.
If you want to consider thorns in each other’s sides, for Philly it was Boston’s Sam Jones while Bird always considered Andrew Toney poison for the
Celtics.
The Celtics, the No. 2 seed in the East, went 3-1 against the Sixers during the regular season, including Boston erasing a 22-point deficit to win the game
in London. Philly’s 89-80 victory in the Jan. 18 series finale featured Embiid
going off for 26 points, 18 rebounds and six assists.
Markelle Fultz, who was “traded” from the Celtics to the Sixers, who accepted Boston’s first pick in the draft, did not play against the Celtics in the four
games but has since returned.
Jaylen Brown, who had two breakout scoring games in the first round
Jimmy Garoppolo Jersey , tweaked a hamstring in the first half of Saturday’s game. He was pronounced fit to go but Stevens held him out as a
precaution. After the game, Brown said, “I’m ready,” adding, when asked if he’ll
go in the opener, “That’s my goal.” He was slated for an MRI Sunday and Stevens
called him doubtful.
Boston’s Marcus Morris, a Philadelphia native, openly rooted for the Sixers in their first-round series and said Sunday, “If we weren’t playing them I’d be
rooting for Philly. But I hope we sweep them.”
The Sixers are the third seed in the conference and are coming off their first series win since 2012.
??Richard Sherman spent seven years tormenting the San Francisco 49ers with his lockdown coverage, colorful trash talk and
celebratory turkey eating at midfield.Now he has decided to join the
enemy
Leighton Vander Esch Jersey , signing a three-year contract with the 49ers almost immediately after being let go by the Seattle Seahawks last Friday.“It’s
a little odd to put on a different jersey. I’m sure it will take some getting
used to for me,” Sherman said Monday. “I’ve spent a lot of time wearing a red
jersey in the Bay so I’m sure I’ll be able to figure it out.”The former Stanford
star has returned to the Bay Area since he wanted to stay on the West Coast to
be close to his parents in Los Angeles and his soon-to-be wife’s family in
Seattle.Getting the chance to stay in the NFC West and play the Seahawks twice
each year was an added bonus.“It definitely had a part of it,” he said. “I’d
love to get to play in that stadium again in different colors. I’m going to try
my best to ruin their day. I do want a chance to show what I can do out
there.”Sherman, who turns 30 later this month, is coming off an Achilles tendon
injury that cost him half of the 2017 season. Sherman also had a cleanup surgery
on his opposite ankle during the offseason. That led to Seattle’s decision that
he wasn’t worth his $13 million salary for 2018.Sherman became a star in
Seattle, bringing a brash attitude and willingness to speak out on any topic to
go along with his stellar play. His best seasons came in 2013 and 2014 when
Seattle made two Super Bowl appearances.Sherman still was one of the better
cornerbacks the past three seasons, ranking second in the NFL by allowing just
49.2 percent of passes against him to be caught, according to Pro Football
Focus.Getting cut only adds fuel to Sherman.“It kind of reignited that gasoline
fire that I always had burning,” he said. “It just threw a lot more gas on it
and I appreciate that and I’m thankful for this motivation and inspiration. I
have a lot of people to show. I’m excited about those prospects.”That fire was
always evident against the 49ers, most notably when he went on a postgame
interview tirade after sealing the NFC championship in January 2014 by
deflecting a pass that turned a potential game-winning touchdown for the 49ers
into an interception for the Seahawks.The following season Sherman celebrated a
Thanksgiving night win at Levi’s Stadium by eating a turkey leg at
midfield
Terrell Edmunds Jersey , although he said that was prompted by NBC producers who told him to “eat the turkey” during the interview.“You’re excited
after the game. You’re winning. We weren’t thinking anything else honestly. We
were just enjoying the moment,” he said. “We played pretty well that game. I
honestly didn’t think it was disrespectful. But people can take it any way they
want to.”Sherman, who negotiated his own contract, described the few days after
being released by Seattle as “chaos.” He was at the NFLPA meetings in Las Vegas
when the Seahawks gave him the news and he heard from 49ers general manager John
Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan almost as soon as the transaction hit the waiver
wire.Sherman then flew to the Bay Area, where he had dinner with Shanahan on
Friday night and met with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, a former assistant
in Seattle.He underwent medical tests Saturday before going to the 49ers
facility for five hours of negotiations. After coming to an agreement, Sherman
called Seahawks general manager John Schneider to give him a chance to match.
Schneider declined but told him it was a solid deal, although he might want to
tinker with the roster bonuses.Sherman also called the Raiders and Lions to tell
them he had made his decision and then signed the deal.“Neither side wanted to
walk away without a deal because we felt like there was a great relationship and
great understanding and something both sides could benefit from,” he said. “We
came to an agreement and it was awesome.”Pro Football Talk reported that Sherman
will get a $3 million signing bonus, a $2 million roster bonus if he passes a
physical the first day of training camp and a $2 million salary for 2018. He
also has $2 million in per-game roster bonuses
Connor Williams Jersey , a $1 million bonus if he plays 90 percent of the defensive snaps, a $1 million incentive for making the Pro Bowl, and $2 million
for being an AP All-Pro.He has a $7 million base salary in the final two years
of the deal, which goes to $8 million if he makes the Pro Bowl the previous
year. He also has per-game roster bonuses, playing time incentives and
incentives for the Pro Bowl and All-Pro in those seasons.NOTES: The 49ers also
signed P Jeff Locke to a one-year deal. … RB Raheem Mostert signed his one-year
exclusive rights tender..
