Celtics in five was probably the most commonly predicted outcome of this first-round series between Boston and Philadelphia. As the series returns to Beantown for the fifth game on Tuesday night, it’s certainly looking like that outcome will come to fruition after the Sixers laid another egg, this time on their home floor, in the fourth game.
But if you’re a Sixers fan, don’t you care about how it goes down? You should. Despite being a heavy underdog in this series, the opportunity to play the Celtics
provided the Sixers with a good measuring stick for where they are. For as much as Philly got clowned for repeatedly losing in the second round under Brett Brown and Doc Rivers, it’s looking like we’re about to go three straight seasons without the Sixers even winning one round in the postseason. Most fans view this as an expected sign for a franchise whose title contention window has already closed.
However, there is something to be said for the effort Philadelphia played with in Games 2 and 3. The Sixers won Game 2 convincingly on the road and fought tooth and nail with the Celtics in Game 3 and ultimately Boston just made too many shots down the stretch and proved to be the deeper and more talented team — which we all knew. If the Sixers can give a similar effort on Tuesday night, they can at least walk away with a sliver of optimism heading into the offseason, or perhaps back to Philly for a Game 6.
Now, you might be saying, what’s the point of a sliver of optimism here? Surely they’re not going to do the unthinkable and win three straight games and stun the Celtics, right? No, they’re not. The season is going to end for the Sixers sometime this week. But when you think about next season, you have to understand that the top-end talent on Philadelphia’s roster likely isn’t going anywhere. Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe will certainly be back for 2026-27 and it’s probably too early to get off of either Joel Embiid or Paul George’s contracts. Perhaps there’s an ounce of hope that George could be moved since he has one less year remaining of a hefty salary than Embiid does, but don’t hold your breath.
The two-timeline theory has been floated around in discussions about the Sixers in recent years as a result. One timeline urges Daryl Morey to do everything he can to assemble a contender for one last ride with Embiid on the roster. The other timeline suggests Morey focuses on what kind of team can be built around Maxey and Edgecombe with Embiid and George simply being expensive distractions from that goal. Even if you’re a firm subscriber in following the second timeline, Embiid and George are likely still around for next season as we said. So, wouldn’t you feel at least mildly encouraged if the Sixers at least competed with the best the East had to offer for three games out of five if it does end on Tuesday night?
While there is a whole offseason to play out across the NBA this summer, when you look at the current state of the rest of the Eastern Conference, does anyone appear to be on Boston’s level from a talent perspective? Top-seed Detroit is down 3-1 in its first-round series against Orlando. New York is in a battle with Atlanta that’s now been reduced to a best-of-three. Ditto for Cleveland against a Toronto team that was also in the lottery with the Sixers in 2025. It’s very possible — if not probable — that if the Sixers had drawn literally any other opponent other than the Celtics, we’re not already eulogizing the season heading into Game 5.
Think about where the Sixers were one year ago. They won 24 games in 2024-25, everyone was injured at various points of the season, and things certainly looked even more bleak than they do right now regarding the future of the franchise. Not that this season has been anything remarkable, but the 45 wins is still a shrewd improvement and it wouldn’t take a ton to feel like 50+ wins is on the table next season.
However, the only way that vibe even becomes somewhat mainstream amongst its fanbase is if Philly can at least prove it belongs on the same court as Boston for a third time in this series. Why are we trying so hard to extract a moral victory here? Well, there’s really no other choice. Surely, some of the role players will be different next season. But instead of comparing and contrasting two different timelines, could the timelines simply be merged into a decent 2026-27? It’s not impossible.
Tuesday night also poses a good test for how much belief the team still has in its head coach. Not that Nick Nurse was dealt the best hand, but as the saying goes, you dance with the girl you brought. I think most fans would feel that in the only other playoff series Nurse coached the Sixers in, their effort was adequate. Philly lost a hard-fought six-game series to New York in which the Knicks closed the series out with a one-point win in Game Six. The Sixers were very close to forcing a deciding seventh game at Madison Square Garden.
Remember what happened after that series ended? Morey went out and signed George to the four-year max contract that he’s still playing on now. Not that we’re rationalizing the George contract, but the Sixers weren’t waving the white flag after a competitive series against one of the East’s other top teams two years ago, so why would they now? But, of course, the question is just how competitive has this series been? After all, in the first and fourth games of this series, the Sixers didn’t even belong on the same floor as the Celtics. Tuesday night can offer a little bit more clarity on just how much talent is currently on this Philadelphia roster.
