The Boston Celtics have trotted out the same starting lineup for all 11 of their postseason games, but head coach Joe Mazzulla is making a change to the unit in a must-win Game 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Mazzulla is taking Derrick White out of the starting lineup and inserting Robert Williams in his place to form a double-big frontcourt alongside Al Horford.
It’s a surprising move from Mazzulla, but one that didn’t catch 76ers head coach Doc Rivers off guard.
“We expected it today,” Rivers told reporters prior to Game 6, per the Athletic’s Jay King. “We worked on it all morning.”
By making Williams a starter, it gives the Celtics more rim protection as they try to find a way to negate NBA MVP Joel Embiid, who has scored at least 30 points in three out of the four games has he played in the series since returning from a knee injury.
Williams has had a limited impact against the 76ers so far, and maybe this is a way of Mazzulla trying to unlock a potential difference-maker for the Celtics with their backs against the wall. Williams has played over 20 minutes only once this entire series.
As for White, he has cooled off after a strong showing in the first round against the Atlanta Hawks. White’s averaging 10.2 points per game and shooting just 33.3% from beyond the arc against the 76ers. He scored just seven points in Boston’s abysmal Game 5 defeat.
With the Celtics needing a win at Wells Fargo Center to keep their season alive and coming off a deflating performance, Mazzulla is looking to generate a spark, but it also seems like one the 76ers were ready for him to make.
