Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers: Complete Guide to Decisive Game 7

The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers are preparing for an epic Game 7 on Saturday that will determine which team has the right to face the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals.

Both sides have fought incredibly hard to get to this point and neither is going to roll over. With the season on the line, this game should one for the ages.

Let’s take an in-depth look at this impending Atlantic Division battle.

Where: TD Bank Garden, Boston, Mass.

When: Saturday, May 26 at 8:00 p.m. ET

Watch: ABC

Listen: WEEI 850 AM (Boston) and WPEN 97.5 FM (Philadelphia)

Line: Celtics -5.5 (-105). Over/Under: 170.5

Key Injuries

Earlier today, the Celtics confirmed that Avery Bradley will undergo surgery on his shoulder and miss the rest of the postseason.  Boston will undoubtedly miss his fierce defensive presence.

Most Important Player to Watch: Ray Allen

With Bradley out, Allen is going to have to log major minutes at the 2 and do his best to lock down his man while he tries to get back into a shooting rhythm.

Allen has noticeably struggled in this postseason and is attempting to play on not one, but two bad ankles. The future Hall of Famer is averaging a mere 9.8 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.3 APG and 0.8 SPG and shooting just 42.5 percent from the field and an awful 26.7 percent from three-point land.

Those stats are drastically down from his regular-season numbers, particularly his percentage from beyond the arc. The C’s rely on him to stretch the defense and make the opposition pay if they leave him open.

If Allen isn’t a threat from downtown in Game 7, the Celtics are going to be hard-pressed to find a way to win.

Key Matchup: Bench play

The Celtics got a total of five points off the bench in Game 6 while Philadelphia’s second unit chipped in 15 points. 

Even though rotations get smaller and bench minutes are limited in the postseason—especially Game 7—it is vital that both teams get meaningful production from their subs.

If someone off the pine steps up in this matchup, it will likely be the difference-maker.

Prediction

Expect this to be a close game all the way through the fourth quarter. However, Boston’s experience and veteran savvy will be the difference in crunch time. The Big Three know this is likely their last chance to make something happen in the playoffs. 

Final score: Boston wins 82-75