76ers vs. Celtics: Game Odds, Players to Watch in Game 1

On Monday, the Philadelphia 76ers begin their conference semi-final series against the Boston Celtics after a demanding sweep in the opening round.

In the first round, the Sixers took on the Brooklyn Nets, who wouldn't be that much of a challenge in the opening three games.

Granted, Philadelphia didn't take Game 4 in a dominant fashion, as Brooklyn put up a fight, leading the game going into halftime.

Their lead was in part due to strong performances from Nic Claxton and Spender Dinwiddie, as well as a cold opening quarter for Tyrese Maxey, who only managed to put up six points on 30 percent shooting from the field.

While they trailed through the opening two quarters, the Sixers pulled it together down the stretch as Tobias Harris put up a commanding 14 points in the closing two quarters, as well as Maxey found his stride, scoring 10 points.

One player who was noticeably absent from the final game of the first round was Joel Embiid, who sat out with a right knee sprain and will be absent from the opening match of the conference semi-finals with the same injury.

On the other side of the ticket sits the Boston Celtics, who advanced to the semi-finals following a 4-2 series win against the Atlanta Hawks.

Game Odds

Spread: Celtics -10

Moneyline: BOS -500, PHI +385

Total O/U: 214.5

All Odds are Provided by SI Sportsbook

Players to Watch:

Sixers: Tyrese Maxey

Fans should keep an eye on Maxey as he has yet to have two lackluster performances in consecutive games during the postseason.

In the opening round, Maxey averaged 22 points per game on an effective 47 percent shooting, with an increased 50 percent accuracy from beyond the arch.

Celtics: Jayson Tatum

Jayson Tatum was cooking during the opening round of the playoffs, dropping an average of 27 points per game on 45 percent shooting from the field while also becoming a defensive rebound machine, grabbing nine boards per game.

Match this with his work against Philadelphia during the regular season, averaging 21 points per game along with ten rebounds, and fans should expect the 25-year-old to be putting on a show in the opening match.

Declan Harris contributes to All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him on Twitter: @DecIanH.

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