Stage set for Turner to shine?

The more you think about the Boston Celtics in Round 2, doesn't it appear as if this could be a series for Evan Turner to up his pedigree?

Turner had one of his best games of the season against Boston back on March 7, posting 26 points and collecting nine rebounds (eight of them defensive) in the Sixers' 103-71 rout of the Celtics in the first of three meetings between the teams.

The final score might be a little bit skewed because the Celtics were exhausted from winning an overtime game at home against the Houston Rockets the night before, but what's more important is that the Sixers were able to dictate tempo against the Celtics and Turner played a huge role in making that happen.

The nine boards Turner grabbed were part of 54-35 rebounding advantage for the Sixers in that game, which marked the end of a five-game winning streak for Boston.

Boston is the 30th rated rebounding team in the league, something that Turner could help to exploit in the playoffs. If he's getting rebounds and pushing the ball – and on the defensive end making it harder for Rajon Rondo to find openings in the Sixers' defense – his role could be huge.

Could this be a coming out party for Turner? This would be a great time for him to take the next step.

Contact staff writer John N. Mitchell at jmitchell@philly.com. Follow him on Twitter @JmitchInquirer