April 27 update: The 76ers will play the Celtics in the second round, which is probably not the best matchup for them. However, Boston did take a few extra games to take out the Hawks which might have given Joel Embiid some additional rest for his knee sprain.
The No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers made light work of the No. 6 Brooklyn Nets in round one of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, pulling off a 4-0 sweep. The team was able to close the Eastern Conference series out in a 96-88 victory on Saturday, a game where Joel Embiid didn’t even suit up due to a knee injury.
With that victory, Philly has advanced to the second round of the playoffs where it will face either the No. 2 Boston Celtics or the No. 7 Atlanta Hawks. The Celtics currently have a 2-1 lead on the Hawks at the time of this writing, so the Sixers will have some time to rest up ahead of the series.
The Sixers were 1-3 against Boston during the regular season and all four games were decided by single digits. Their most recent matchup resulted in a 103-101 Sixers win on April 4, a game where Embiid bolstered his MVP argument with 52 points and 13 rebounds. On the flip side, Philly went 3-1 against Atlanta during the regular season. Their most recent matchup resulted in a 136-131 overtime victory for the Sixers on April 7, a game where they were resting their starters.