Philadelphia 76ers: Celtics a puzzle they can’t figure out

No matter what additions have been made, the Philadelphia 76ers haven’t been able to shake the problem that is the Boston Celtics.

Heading into their 2018 second round playoff matchup, many predicted a good old fashion beatdown for the Boston Celtics at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers. Boston was down two All-Stars and had barely gotten by their first round opponent in the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Sixers, meanwhile, had dominated the Miami Heat in five games, boasting one of the best young duos playing at a high level surrounded by snipers capable of racking up high 3-point totals in a hurry.

When the C’s came out on top — in five games no less — it was definitely a surprise to most, but it was by no means a demoralizing loss. With such an inexperienced core, Philly was still learning how to execute and win in the postseason. The players would only grow and learn from what had become a humbling reality for a team some deemed worthy of an NBA Finals run.

The two teams wound up facing off on the opening night of the 2018-19 regular season. Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward were back and eager to step foot onto the court. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons were each a year older and a year wiser, and it would be interesting to see the elements added to their game over the summer.

Boston would go onto win that game quite easily by a margin of 105-87. There wasn’t panic just yet, though. The 76ers had lost some of the shooting that made them so great the season prior, while head coach Brett Brown was experimenting with former No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz in the starting lineup. As the saying goes, fans just had to trust the Process.

Then Philly acquired Jimmy Butler in mid-November, signaling a transition to a more win-now approach with the formation of the league’s newest Big 3. Butler had worked his behind off as the 30th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft to become a four-time All-Star and one of the best two-way players in the game. Surely, he could be the difference-maker as a guy with the reputation of taking and making big-time shots late in games.

The Sixers then headed to Bean Town for a Christmas Day showdown with the Celtics, all revved up to show off their latest acquisition in order to make a statement to the rest of the league that they were the new beasts of the East.

Jimmy Buckets put up a so-so performance, shooting 9-of-21 on his way to 24 points, but it wasn’t enough to contain Kyrie Irving’s 40-piece that catapulted Boston to an overtime victory by the final score of 121-114.

By this point, things were starting to look a little less optimistic in the City of Brotherly Love. Philly was definitely a top-heavy bunch, but the C’s had depth across the board and executed their well drawn-up plays to perfection. Simmons still couldn’t shoot. The team lacked outside shooting. It looked as though the Sixers still didn’t have enough to overtake their bitter rivals.

Fast forward to a little over a week ago where general manager Elton Brand shocked the NBA world and acquired Tobias Harris, a sweet-shooting, versatile forward who rounded out one of the most talented starting fives in the entire league. Throw in the acquisitions of solid role players like Mike Scott and Jonathon Simmons and this was a team whose title odds had increased tremendously in just a few short days.

This takes us to Tuesday night. The Celtics were in town reeling after blowing a 28-point lead on their home court to the Los Angeles Clippers. Irving would sit with a right knee sprain. It wouldn’t have been the most convincing of victories, but any type of win against a team that had beaten them six out of the previous seven games would be welcomed with open arms.

Unfortunately, even that was too much to ask for. Boston won 112-109, making it four straight against the Sixers and raising serious questions in the home locker room of the Wells Fargo Arena about the legitimacy of this championship-hopeful squad.

Sometimes, no matter the circumstances, there are certain teams that just hold a psychological edge over their opponent. Whether due to past confrontations or heated battles on the court, teams or players can’t get over the constant roadblock.

If the playoffs were to begin today, these two would be locked in the always heated 4-5 matchup. One would think Philly has the edge on paper, but then the Celtics go out and do all the little things to close that talent gap. They’ve seemingly stripped the Sixers of any confidence and swagger they normally have against most teams, creating an advantage unlikely to go away anytime soon.

No matter what Kyrie decides to do in free agency, this Boston team isn’t going anywhere. It’s shown the ability to win without him. As they continue to age and develop, they’re only going to become a tougher out.

In trading for Butler and Harris, the Sixers threw away the Process to go for it all right now, but if they can’t figure out how to beat a Celtics team likely to be in their way at every turn, the Process may never be truly completed.