The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers are set to go head-to-head Friday night, continuing an ongoing rivalry that spans long before the days of Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid.
Both teams have split their first two matchups this season, but with the season series heading to Boston for the first time, the Celtics will seek a third consecutive win. Jaylen Brown has been a vital part of the rivalry with Philadelphia since making his NBA debut in 2016 and he doesn’t take being a part of the cherished clash for granted.
“I think the Celtics-Sixers rivalry goes back probably before I was even alive,” Brown told reporters at Thursday’s practice, per CLNS Media video. “So, to be honest, it’s really an honor just to be able to compete and live in that honor and that tradition, that legacy cause it goes back from the Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell days, and beyond that. I think it’s fun. It’s one of the biggest rivalries in sports or one of them and I’m just a part of that storyline.”
When it comes to the upper hand, Boston has it. The Celtics have won their last six playoff series against the 76ers, dating back to the 1985 Eastern Conference finals. Philadelphia, on the other hand, last bested Boston in a playoff battle 41 years ago in 1982. That’s 12 years before Embiid was even born and back when Julius Erving and Moses Malone were arguably the biggest cheat code in the NBA.
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“Most of the playoff matchups we’ve been able to win, but we wanna continue to maintain that in the future,” Brown added.
Despite any historical track record favoring the Celtics, the 76ers never fail to give Boston a run for its money. Although on Friday night, the potential absence of Embiid, who was listed as questionable on Thursday, could play a major factor — especially with the Celtics already missing Kristaps Porzingis for a third consecutive game.
Boston, leading the East with an NBA-best 14-4 record, is undefeated through its first eight games at home so far this season.