Sixers face Celtics in playoffs for 23rd time, here’s the schedule
The NBA released the complete first-round schedule for the Philadelphia Sixers’ Eastern Conference playoff series against the Boston Celtics.
Philadelphia, the No. 7 seed, will be on the road for the first two games of the best-of-seven series against the second-seeded Celtics.
76ers vs. Celtics First-Round Schedule
| Game | Day | Date | Away | Home | Time | RADIO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun. | April 19 | Philadelphia | Boston | 1 p.m. | 97.3 ESPN |
| 2 | Tues. | April 21 | Philadelphia | Boston | 7 p.m. | 97.3 ESPN |
| 3 | Fri. | April 24 | Boston | Philadelphia | 7:30 p.m. | 97.3 ESPN |
| 4 | Sun | April 26 | Boston | Philadelphia | 6:30 p.m. | 97.3 ESPN |
| 5* | Tues. | April 28 | Philadelphia | Boston | TBD | 97.3 ESPN |
| 6* | Thu. | April 30 | Boston | Philadelphia | TBD | 97.3 ESPN |
| 7* | Sat. | May 2 | Philadelphia | Boston | TBD | 97.3 ESPN |
This is the first time that Philadelphia and Boston will meet in the playoffs since their seven-game series in 2023.
Historical Rivalry: A Battle of Giants
It will be the 23rd time the two teams will meet in the playoffs, the most in NBA history.
It's a playoff rivalry that has been more of a hammer and nail series, with Boston winning six straight playoff series against Philadelphia. Philadelphia has not beaten Boston in a playoff series since the 1982 Eastern Conference Finals.
Regular Season Recap: A Even Split
The two teams split the regular season head-to-head matchups this season 2-2, with the Sixers winning on opening night in Boston and on Nov 11 in Philadelphia.
Key Storylines: Embiid’s Absence and Tatum’s Return
Boston carries serious momentum into this game, with the Celtics winning 6 of their last seven games. This is a much different Celtics team than the one the Sixers faced during their four regular-season games, with Jayson Tatum back in the Celtics lineup.
It’s a big reason why the Celtics are the betting favorites to win the Eastern Conference and have the third-shortest odds to win the NBA Title.
Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 31 points and six assists in a 109-97 win over the Magic on Wednesday to help the Sixers advance to the No. 7 seed, facing Boston. The Sixers will likely be without Joel Embiid for most of this series. He has been dealing with appendicitis and had surgery last Thursday, with no appendicitis recovery timeline to return to court.
There’s a break after Games 1 and 2 in Boston ahead of Games 3 and 4 in Philadelphia. After the first two games on Sunday and Tuesday, in Boston, the teams will not play again until Friday and Sunday in Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4.
The series starts with an early 1 pm tip time and is followed by three straight 7 pm games, which can be heard on 97.3 ESPN.
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