After all, the 76ers are the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, and the Celtics boast an experienced roster with plenty of talent.
But the Sixers have given the Celtics a run for their money, taking Boston to six games. Given the history of this rivalry, it should come as no surprise that the 76ers aren’t going down easy. There is a long line of Sixers players that have given the Celtics fits in the past.
Wilt Chamberlain terrorized plenty of opponents during his NBA career, and the Celtics were no exception. Chamberlain always filled up the stat sheet against Boston, but it was his domination of Bill Russell and company during the 1967 NBA Playoffs, which ended the Celtics’ run of eight consecutive titles, that will always be a part of Celtics history.
The still-famous Charles Barkley also had his fair share of success against Boston during the time he spent in Philadelphia. Despite piling up impressive statistics, though, Barkley never had much postseason success against the Celtics.
Mo Cheeks may have been the biggest Celtics killer, leading the Sixers to three trips to the NBA Finals in four years, inlcuding one NBA title.
The Celtics never enjoyed playing host to Julius Erving. Averaging 22 points per game during his NBA career, Dr. J led the 76ers to the 1983 NBA Championship.
In the early part of the 2000s, Allen Iverson took over the role of Celtics Killer, posting huge numbers against Boston and leading Philly to the NBA Finals in 2001.
Known as the “Boston Strangler,” Andrew Toney was a critical piece of Philiadelphia’s 1983 NBA Championship. But it was his performance against the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals the year before that earned him his nickname. Toney averaged 26.4 points per game in that series, including a 34 point effort in Game 7.
Moses Malone was another big difference maker for the Sixers during their ’83 Championship run, dominating the glass to help his team to a 12-1 postseason record.
None of these players made life easy on the Celtics, but which one was the toughest on them?
