The 76ers season-ending 16 game winning streak started on March 15th. In the two weeks prior to that, they lost to the Bucks in Milwaukee, the Heat in Miami and the Pacers in Philly. Here is the composition of their winning streak:
76ers 117 @ Knicks 110
76ers 129 vs Nets 116
76ers 108 vs Hornets 94
76ers 119 vs Memphis 105
76ers 118 @ Magic 98
76ers 120 vs T-Wolves 108
76ers 123 vs Nuggets 104
76ers 118 vs Knicks 101
76ers 101 @ Hawks 91
76ers 119 @ Hornets 102
76ers 121 vs Nets 95
76ers 115 @ Pistons 108
76ers 130 vs Cavs 130
76ers 109 vs Mavericks 97
76ers 121 @ Hawks 113
76ers 130 vs Bucks 95
Without accounting for back-to-backs for either Philly or their opponents, they won 16 in row by winning 10 at home and six on the road. They won twice against the Knicks (ninth worst team in the league), the Nets (eighth worst team in the league), Hornets (11th worst team in the league) and Hawks (tied for the third worst team in the league). The only teams that they beat during that streak with a winning record were the T-Wolves, Nuggets and Cavs. So eight of their win-streak wins were against tanking teams.
They then beat the Heat in five games though they lost one in Philly.
I don't mean to downplay how good Philly is because they are very talented and very well coached. It is worth noting that the win streak also likely coincided with Brett Brown figuring out how to work in new pieces like Belinelli and Ilyasova so that is a plus - prior to that, Philly was 36-30. However their streak, which involved a lot of weak teams and home cooking, was the reason all the hot-takey NBA pundits jumped on their bandwagon.
In short, while its hard to ignore how well Philadelphia is playing and how the Celtics are hampered without Irving and now Jaylen Brown, there exists a scenario where Boston, who won three of the teams' four meetings, takes this series the distance. And there is a scenario where they win that too by virtue of playing at home.
Neither the odds nor the pundits will favor the Celtics here but this series may not be as lopsided in favor of Philadelphia as it appears.
76ers 117 @ Knicks 110
76ers 129 vs Nets 116
76ers 108 vs Hornets 94
76ers 119 vs Memphis 105
76ers 118 @ Magic 98
76ers 120 vs T-Wolves 108
76ers 123 vs Nuggets 104
76ers 118 vs Knicks 101
76ers 101 @ Hawks 91
76ers 119 @ Hornets 102
76ers 121 vs Nets 95
76ers 115 @ Pistons 108
76ers 130 vs Cavs 130
76ers 109 vs Mavericks 97
76ers 121 @ Hawks 113
76ers 130 vs Bucks 95
Without accounting for back-to-backs for either Philly or their opponents, they won 16 in row by winning 10 at home and six on the road. They won twice against the Knicks (ninth worst team in the league), the Nets (eighth worst team in the league), Hornets (11th worst team in the league) and Hawks (tied for the third worst team in the league). The only teams that they beat during that streak with a winning record were the T-Wolves, Nuggets and Cavs. So eight of their win-streak wins were against tanking teams.
They then beat the Heat in five games though they lost one in Philly.
I don't mean to downplay how good Philly is because they are very talented and very well coached. It is worth noting that the win streak also likely coincided with Brett Brown figuring out how to work in new pieces like Belinelli and Ilyasova so that is a plus - prior to that, Philly was 36-30. However their streak, which involved a lot of weak teams and home cooking, was the reason all the hot-takey NBA pundits jumped on their bandwagon.
In short, while its hard to ignore how well Philadelphia is playing and how the Celtics are hampered without Irving and now Jaylen Brown, there exists a scenario where Boston, who won three of the teams' four meetings, takes this series the distance. And there is a scenario where they win that too by virtue of playing at home.
Neither the odds nor the pundits will favor the Celtics here but this series may not be as lopsided in favor of Philadelphia as it appears.