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Despite the uncertainty surrounding the Celtics’ 2026 outlook without Jayson Tatum for much of the season, they haven’t missed a beat, finishing with the No. 2 seed in the East and drawing a first-round matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers.
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Jaylen Brown really stepped up during Tatum’s absence, and he headlines my 76ers vs. Celtics predictions as we expect Boston’s dominance at home to continue in Game 1.
Find out more in my NBA picks for Sunday, April 19.
Our best 76ers vs Celtics SGP for Game 1
Jaylen Brown has found plenty of success against the Philadelphia 76ers this season, averaging 38.6 PRA across four matchups. The Boston Celtics guard delivered 37+ PRA twice and finished with 35 in the two other games.
With defensive anchor Joel Embiid sidelined once again, this sets up as a favorable matchup for Brown. Philadelphia’s 116.5 defensive rating without Embiid would rank ninth-worst in the league.
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In Philly’s last three games in Boston without Embiid, the 76ers were outscored by 17.3 points per game. The Celtics also posted a +8.3 net rating at home this season, and with the roster close to full strength, I’ll back them to win this one by 13+.
No team hit the Under at a higher rate than Boston (63.4%). The Celtics consistently kept games low-scoring thanks to a bottom-five pace and top-five defense.
Without Embiid, Philadelphia’s offensive rating dropped from 118.5 to 112.9, ranking eighth-worst in the league. The Sixers will likely struggle to score, and I expect Boston to control the tempo in a slow grind.
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