Philadelphia 76ers Ready for War in Game 7 vs. Boston Celtics

Before the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics tipped off for Game 6 on Thursday night in South Philly, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla mentioned that his team was ready for war as they approached a do-or-die matchup as they were down 2-3 in the series.

After the Celtics won the battle in Game 6, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey echoed a similar sentiment as his opponent, stating that Game 7 on the road would be a war.

The Sixers had two major advantages last time out, as they were on their home turf and had a loss to spare in the event they don’t get the job done. Unfortunately, with that scenario becoming a reality, the Sixers no longer have any cushion.

A win will keep Philadelphia on track and get them to the Eastern Conference Finals. A loss puts them in a position that’s too familiar, as it would end their season before the third round begins.

The Sixers have been in this position in the past. This time, they hope to find different results.

“We've been in this situation before like vice versa my rookie year,” explained Tyrese Maxey. “We gotta go out there and we gotta fight. It's gonna be a war. One thing I will say is if I had to go to war on the road, Game 7 in Boston, I want to go with this group. I know we got some fighters, I know we got some resilient guys, I’m ready to get it on.”

Maxey’s not one to lack confidence in his game. And despite collecting a loss on Thursday, Sixers guard James Harden was still encouraged despite the final results.

“We’ll watch film, we’ll get better, but honestly, this was a close game the entire game, especially in the second half,” Harden explained after Game 6. “They made a couple of threes. We didn’t make the shots. If we make the shots, we win the game. Nothing more than that — it’s simple.”

Although the Sixers dropped the ball at home, the positive news is that they’ve found success on the road plenty of times this season, and even during this series. During the regular season, the Sixers went 25-16 away from home.

While playing in Boston during the Eastern Conference Semifinals this year, the Sixers won two out of three games, which gives them confidence they can make it three on Sunday.

“We know what we got to do,” said Joel Embiid. “We’ve gone on the road, and we’ve won. It’s not going to be easy in another environment but same thing. Got to start better than we were tonight, and everybody has to step up — starting with me. I guess I got to be more aggressive as far as shooting and getting my teammates open looks. Everybody else has to do their job and show up. It’s going to be fun. Game 7, that’s what you play for, those types of games. Tonight was pretty tough, but we know how much we could have been better. Missed a lot of good opportunities, especially going into the fourth. They made a lot of tough shots, but that’s the name of the game. Got to respond and go win.”

“We've rallied all year long on the road,” Maxey added. “We got a tough group. We got a very very tough group, and it's gonna be huge for us, man. It's one game. One game. We're not worried about nothing else. Not worrying about the future or past. Win one game in the present. You gotta go out there, we got to fight our tails off, and it's going to be a war. It's gonna be a battle.”

A lot is at stake for both squads. While there is plenty of pressure placed on the Sixers from the outside, the team doesn’t seem too fazed by it and they are confident heading into the final phase of the second-round series.

“Going into the season, Boston was in front of us,” James Harden explained. “Somehow, someway, we had to get through this team. They’ve been together for some years. They’re well-coached, they got a lot of depth. Like, everybody knows, you got to get through them. Game 7, we’re taking our chances.”

“With our guys, I tell them just hang in there,” said Sixers coach Doc Rivers. “Own your record, own everything, and embrace it and attack it, but don’t focus on winning. Focus on playing. Playing equates to winning. Worrying about winning gets you in trouble. Play the right way, and we’ll be good.”

The Sixers’ do-or-die matchup in Boston begins at 3:30 PM ET.