The Boston Celtics-Philadelphia 76ers rivalry is alive and well, and that’s great news for the NBA and its fans.
One of the main reasons for the rebirth in this classic rivalry is the young stars on both teams, most notably Jayson Tatum of the Celtics and Joel Embiid of the Sixers.
The Celtics defeated the 76ers in a five-game second-round playoff series last season, and Tatum didn’t let Embiid forget about it during their summer workouts together.
The Celtics only dropped Game 4 of that series. They returned from that loss in Philly and closed the series in a thrilling Game 5 at TD Garden. Tatum scored 20-plus points in each of the five games and arguably was the most valuable player in the series.
These rivals likely will battle in April and May a few more times in the near future, and you can bet Tatum and Embiid will play pivotal roles in determining which team claims playoff glory.
