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Breaking down the Sixers-Celtics series

Now that the 76ers have washed their hands of their first-round opponent, the top-seeded Chicago Bulls, it's time to get ready for another mud bath, as the team faces the Boston Celtics in the second round. Fifth-seeded Boston advanced by beating the Atlanta Hawks, four games to two, to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the fifth consecutive season.

The Sixers beat the Celtics two out of three times during the regular season. (Ron Cortes/Staff file photo)
The Sixers beat the Celtics two out of three times during the regular season. (Ron Cortes/Staff file photo)Read more

Now that the 76ers have washed their hands of their first-round opponent, the top-seeded Chicago Bulls, it's time to get ready for another mud bath, as the team faces the Boston Celtics in the second round. Fifth-seeded Boston advanced by beating the Atlanta Hawks, four games to two, to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the fifth consecutive season.

The Sixers and Bulls produced one of the most offensively challenged series in the history of basketball, with the Sixers winning three games in which they shot under 40 percent from the floor, twice when they scored under 80 points. The average winning score for the victorious team in the final four games was 81 points.

Much of that was expected when pitting the league's No. 1 defense (Chicago) against the third best (Sixers). Well, guess which team was wedged in between those in defensive royalty? That's right, the Boston Celtics.

So if the thought of the old-time rivalry being renewed - of games in which the memories of scoring machines such as Andrew Toney, Julius Erving and Moses Malone and Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish will be rekindled - think again.

This series might be about as ugly as the one the Sixers clinched on Thursday night when Andre Iguodala deposited to clean foul shots with 2.2 seconds remaining for a 79-78 win, the first series advancement by the Sixers since 2003.

It all begins on Saturday at 8 at the TD Bank Garden in Boston. In the Celtics, the Sixers face a team whose star player is hobbled, as Paul Pierce is playing with sprained ligaments in his left knee. In a late-season move by coach Doc Rivers, who was searching for a better defensive start to the game, sharpshooter Ray Allen was moved to the bench in favor of Avery Bradley. Rajon Rondo still runs the point more than admirably, if not sometimes erratically, and Kevin Garnett can still man the middle with the best of them, as proved by his 28 points, 14 rebounds, five blocks and three steals in the series clincher over the Hawks.

So how will this series play out? Is it the slam dunk for the Celtics that many predict? Or does this young Sixers group not know any better to realize what is going on? Let's look:

The backcourt

In Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner, the Sixers have a bigger and more powerful tandem than the Celtics' starting duo of Bradley and Rondo. In the Bulls series, Sixers coach Doug Collins pitted Turner on point guard C.J. Watson, swallowing him up with his size, while the quicker Holiday chased Rip Hamilton through picks. Covering Watson also allowed Turner to drift off on shots and rebound. Collins could duplicate that move against the Celtics, putting Turner on Rondo in an attempt to negate his penetration to the basket.

The mismatch for the Celtics is when Allen enters the game with the second unit. Rondo will be out there most of the game, as he averaged close to 42 minutes against the Hawks. So when Lou Williams comes in for the Sixers, whom does he cover? Williams will have to try to negate with his offense whatever he gives up at the defensive end.

Forwards

For the most part, Iguodala did a very good job on Chicago's Luol Deng, forcing him mostly to settle for jump shots throughout the series. He must do the same to Pierce, who is a much better shooter than Deng. With Boston the worst rebounding team in the league during the season, the Sixers' defense can help Iguodala more than it could against the Bulls, the top rebounding team in the league.

Elton Brand will need to make it a point to outplay Brandon Bass every game, where the Sixers should gain an advantage. The real advantage here might be when the Sixers bring Thaddeus Young off the bench. Bottled up the entire series by Chicago's Taj Gibson, Young will probably feel as if he's been freed from solitary confinement. He should prove to be a positive mismatch for Collins in this series.

Center

There is no question the huge advantage here goes to the Celtics, with Garnett and all that he brings. Offensively, Spencer Hawes must make outside shots consistently to draw Garnett from the paint, thus opening lanes for teammates. Defensively, don't be surprised to see more of Lavoy Allen and maybe Tony Battie at times banging with Garnett to try to wear him down throughout the series.

Intangibles

Collins and Rivers are very close; Rivers' son, Austin, played for Collins' son, Chris, this past season at Duke. They know each other very well, personally and professionally. There will be no surprises to either coach.

The key for the Sixers in this series goes back to the bench. They'll need very solid production from Young and Williams. If they also can take advantage of Boston's suspect rebounding, they should be able to get out and run more than they could against the Bulls.

Boston will, and should, rely heavily on Rondo. If he is scoring around 20 points, dealing more than 10 assists and starting fastbreaks for the Celtics with his rebounding, it could be a quicker series than Sixers fans assume.

Contact Bob Cooney at cooneyb@phillynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobCooney76. For more Sixers coverage, read his blog, Sixerville, at www.philly.com/Sixerville.