Sixers vs Celtics- Game 7 Rivalry

Based on NBA.com, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics have a long history of game seven playoff history. As the Philadelphia 76ers were preparing for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics, head coach Doug Collins showed them film of the 1982 conference finals series between the two teams. That was year that the Sixers won their first and only championship. Yes, the odds seem to be stacked against Philly. There have been 108 Game 7s in NBA history, and the home team has won 87 (80 percent) of them. So, the team that has won Game 6 to force Game 7 has only won the series 35 times (32 percent). Of course, neither Andrew Toney nor Larry Bird nor Bill Russell will have anything to do with this Game 7. This is the sixth Game 7 in the last five years for the current Boston core, and they’re 3-2 in the previous five, 3-1 at home. The lone home loss came the 2009 Eastern Conference semifinals against Orlando, with Kevin Garnett out with a knee injury. The other loss came in L.A. in the 2010 Finals, with Kendrick Perkins out. This time, the Celtics are missing Avery Bradley. And with the way this series has gone so far, you never know what’s going to happen. Each team is going to make a few mistakes and errors, and one scoring drought may just determine the game. The Celtics have home court advantage so the Sixers are going to have to play their hardest. Good luck teams.