Waking up this morning was not a dream for Sixers fans, but it sure feels like that. Philadelphia’s perennially maligned basketball team vanquished the hated Celtics, mounted a 3-1 series comeback and pulled out yet another victory on the road in Boston. I can’t believe I typed out all of that, but here we are!
Let’s get right to it with my first ever “5 Sixers thoughts” column following a Sixers playoff series win over the Celtics…
Celebrating a Game 7 victory felt like a weight off my shoulders
My wife and I moved into our first-ever house a couple of days ago.
We’re still living out boxes a bit. I did, of course, make sure to immediately set up the TV(s) in our “sports cave” for these Sixers and Flyers playoff runs. That’s the most important thing!
As f-bombs bounced off the walls left and right for 48 minutes of basketball, I was left feeling completely relieved when that final buzzer hit. I did one of the most freeing Twitter scrolls of my life after, cracked a cold one and listened to a live performance of “Stars” by Hum on Late Night with Conan O’Brien from 1995. I felt entirely at peace with the world. I hope the faithful readers of this website that have been checking out my work since I was literally in college did so as well.
Do not let anyone tell you that this was “only” the first round. We all deserve to be happy and over the moon about this.
The Sixers stopped getting punished on the glass
The most infuriating thing about the Sixers’ three (and only three!) losses to Boston this series was the way they were getting destroyed when it came to rebounding. The Celtics were getting offensive board after offensive board before kicking it out to their stable of shooters for yet another back-breaking three. I shave my head a couple times per week because balding comes for us all eventually, but if I did still have a hair, I would’ve ripped it all out watching that unfold.
That flipped as the series progressed and turned in the Sixers’ favor.
The Sixers out-rebounded the Celtics in Game 6 and the margin was tied in Game 7. The Sixers were able to consistently control possessions and make good on their defensive stands. For a team that had lacked even an ounce of toughness for so long, they grinded and gritted these last three wins out.
Jaylen Brown is a sore loser
Jaylen Brown hasn’t even turned 30 yet and already has a Finals MVP to his name, but his clown show postgame presser was downright embarrassing. Brown, after the Game 7 loss, complained about the officiating and the calls that Joel Embiid received:
Aside from the fact that having guys like Hugo González guard Embiid is going to lead to a ton of fouls, that’s so rich coming from Brown. The dude throws forearm shivers every time he drives to the cup like he’s Deacon Jones. He hits the Heisman Trophy pose like he’s Desmond Howard. Look inward and contemplate on this before next season, Derrick Henry!
Quentin Grimes is the exact type of irrational confidence guy that contenders need
In Game 7, Quentin Grimes went up for a posterizing dunk on the Celtics that seemed ripped from a 2003 Tracy McGrady highlight reel. He didn’t connect. If this wasn’t a Game 7 against Boston of all teams, it would’ve been hilarious to watch.
Still, Grimes was a key cog in the Sixers’ upset win over the Celtics in the first round. He played the most minutes of any Sixers reserve. He shot 42.1 percent from deep. The Sixers needed him! They need one guy (just one!) who thinks he’s much better than he actually is, but is still nevertheless talented. Can Grimes be a diet version of 2016 J.R. Smith during this playoff run? A bigger, bouncier 2011 Jason Terry? I could see him having a 22-point heater off the bench at Madison Square Garden this week!
‘The king is gone, but he’s not forgotten…’
“We’ll all know.”
