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<\/a><\/p>\nMILWAUKEE, WI – MARCH 4: Jalen Johnson #1, Nickeil Alexander-Walker #7, Corey Kispert #24, and Dyson Daniels #5 of the Atlanta Hawks high five during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 4, 2026 at Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen\/NBAE via Getty Images). NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n
Season series: Tied 2-2Average score: Boston 112.3 \u2014 Atlanta 109.3Injuries: Essentially clean rotation (unless you consider Jock Landale\u2019s common cold series-defining)When you boil it down: One of the hottest teams in the league since the All-Star break, and fresh off a win over Boston that showed exactly how they can make things uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
They control the possession battle and keep Atlanta out of transition.<\/p>\n
This Hawks team is built on disruption. They rank near the top of the league in forcing turnovers and converting them into points, and they\u2019ve completely flipped their identity on the glass since the break.<\/p>\n
So the formula for Boston is simple, but non-negotiable: purposeful offense, strong defensive rebounding, and limiting live-ball turnovers. We just saw how turnovers, second chances, and pace flipped the recent game versus Atlanta<\/a>, even with Boston controlling things early. If the Celtics force Atlanta to operate in the halfcourt, the matchup will tilt in Boston\u2019s favor. That means initiating switch actions involving CJ McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker as primary handlers, staying home on shooters, and making Atlanta rely on tougher, late-clock creation.<\/p>\n Offensively, Boston can also target Atlanta\u2019s weaker perimeter defenders through Tatum-led pick-and-rolls, especially involving McCollum. If that action consistently bends the defense, it opens up the exact shots Boston wants \u2014 corner threes, quick swing passes, and second-side drives.<\/p>\n They win the margins and let their athletic wings dictate the game.<\/p>\n This version of the Hawks is way less heliocentric and way more collective than the Trae Young-led Hawks of years past. The pressure points now are Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jalen Johnson.<\/p>\n NAW has been on an absolute heater as of late; hyper-efficient, high-volume shooting, deadly in transition, and comfortable playing off turnovers or quick-hitting actions. If Boston loses him in space or lets him get downhill early, he can swing quarters in the blink of an eye.<\/p>\n Johnson is the other swing piece for ATL. His ability to rebound, push, and attack mismatches gives Atlanta a way to generate offense without needing a set play. Pair that with Dyson Daniels\u2019 defensive activity, and suddenly the Hawks can create the exact kind of game they want: messy, physical, and tilted toward effort plays.<\/p>\n If Atlanta is winning on the glass, forcing turnovers, and getting early offense, they can absolutely win some games.<\/p>\n Worry Level: You\u2019re driving and the low fuel light just came on, but you know there\u2019s a gas station a few exits ahead (Boston in 6)<\/p>\n Don\u2019t stress too much about this one yet. Yes, Atlanta\u2019s ability to create extra possessions \u2014 turnovers, offensive boards, transition \u2014 gives them a path to extend this longer than you\u2019d like. But if Boston cleans that up, this ends on schedule. If not, you might be on the road a little longer than planned.<\/p>\n CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 28: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers celebrates his shot against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half with teammates Joel Embiid #21, Trendon Watford #12, Kelly Oubre Jr. #9 and Quentin Grimes #5 at Spectrum Center on March 28, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Helen McGinnis\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n Season series: Tied 2\u20132Average score: Boston 109.8 \u2014 Philadelphia 106.3Injuries: Mostly healthy core down the stretch; Embiid, Maxey, and Paul George all activeWhen you boil it down: The Sixers still have the highest-end talent of any potential opponent, but they\u2019ve spent the season trying to piece together consistency and avoid the play-in.<\/p>\n They make this a series about execution, not star power.<\/p>\n Because this is the one matchup where you can start talking yourself into trouble if you let your brain wander.<\/p>\n Joel Embiid is still going to be a problem. He\u2019ll draw fouls, slow the game down, and force Boston into decisions. Tyrese Maxey\u2019s speed can bend a defense quickly, and Paul George gives them a third scorer who can hit tough shots late in the clock.<\/p>\n But Boston\u2019s edge is in how clean their process is. When the ball moves, when the spacing holds, when possessions don\u2019t die early, the Sixers start to crack. You can pull Embiid into space, involve Maxey in screening actions, and force Philadelphia into rotations they don\u2019t always handle well.<\/p>\n Defensively, Boston has the versatility to throw different looks at Embiid without fully committing, stay attached to Maxey, and live with the rest of the roster having to beat them. If the Celtics stay disciplined and don\u2019t gift Philly easy points at the line or in transition, the game trends back toward structure \u2014 and that\u2019s where Boston wins<\/a>.<\/p>\n Philadelphia will win if\u2026<\/p>\n Their stars finally deliver The Process that was promised<\/p>\n If Embiid is controlling the whistle and dictating tempo, if Maxey is consistently getting downhill, and if Paul George is giving them real, reliable secondary creation, then suddenly this becomes something different. They\u2019ll need more than talent on paper at this stage, but the small sample size suggests they could apply actual, sustained pressure over the course of a game.<\/p>\n And if that version shows up, Boston is going to have to work for it.<\/p>\n Because there are enough complementary pieces here to make things interesting. Quentin Grimes can get hot quickly and swing a quarter. VJ Edgecombe brings defensive activity and chaos on the perimeter. Even guys like Dominic Barlow or Kelly Oubre Jr. can give you stretches where they just tilt the energy of the game ever so slightly. It\u2019s not overwhelming depth, but it\u2019s enough if the stars are carrying the weight.<\/p>\n That said, this series will ultimately come down to Embiid. Maxey may have already surpassed Embiid as the Sixers\u2019 best player, but they\u2019ll need a pretty good version of Joel if they want to compete. Over a full series, the question is always around what he looks like over 48 minutes, then two nights later, and then again after that. You\u2019ll probably know pretty early if this series will be close. If he\u2019s getting downhill, living at the line, and moving with purpose, look out. If he\u2019s drifting, settling, or looking gassed up and down the court, Boston can close the door quickly.<\/p>\n Worry Level: You just replied all to the entire company with a Joe Mazzulla gif (Boston in 6)<\/p>\n It\u2019s not the end of the world. But yeah\u2026you\u2019re definitely feeling a pit in your stomach.<\/p>\n That\u2019s Philadelphia. You trust Boston to get it done. It\u2019s not like this is a rivalry<\/a>, after all. But there\u2019s just enough high-end talent on the other side for Philly that if it all clicks at once, you\u2019re going to feel it in real time.<\/p>\n This probably ends up fine if it comes to fruition. It just might be uncomfortable for a little bit.<\/p>\n CLEVELAND, OHIO – MARCH 24: Desmond Bane #3 and Paolo Banchero #5 of the Orlando Magic celebrate a three-point basket made by Banchero during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena on March 24, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nick Cammett\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n Season series: Celtics lead 2\u20131 They stay patient offensively and trust their shot profile.<\/p>\n Orlando\u2019s entire defensive identity is built around taking away what Boston does best. I know that sounds scary, but keep reading! The Magic press up on shooters, deny clean catch-and-shoot looks, and turn possessions into late-clock isolations. We saw it in last year\u2019s playoff series, a gritty, borderline exhausting matchup that never really let Boston play clean basketball (and maybe contributed to the lackluster effort we saw in the next round versus the Knicks).<\/p>\n The key this time around is resisting that drift.<\/p>\n If Boston keeps moving the ball, leans into second-side actions, and trusts that good shots will come even if they\u2019re delayed, the math eventually wins. Tatum and Brown are also equipped for this kind of matchup now. They\u2019ve already shown they can punish switches, absorb contact, and create efficient offense even when the system bogs down.<\/p>\n Defensively, Boston also has the upper hand. With no elite perimeter shot creation outside of Paolo Banchero, the Celtics can load up, switch across Wagner\/Banchero actions, and force Orlando into contested midrange looks. If Boston controls the glass and limits second chances, the Magic\u2019s offense should stall quickly.<\/p>\n They turn the series into a rock fight and make Boston uncomfortable for long stretches.<\/p>\n Orlando is not a finesse team. They win by making you feel them.<\/p>\n Paolo Banchero is the main attraction for the Magic, a downhill force who can bully smaller defenders, draw fouls, and carry offense in stretches. Franz Wagner, if healthy, adds another layer as a secondary creator who thrives attacking tilted defenses. Together, they give Orlando just enough shot creation to survive if the game slows down.<\/p>\n The players around them will have to rise to the occasion as well.<\/p>\n Guys like Jonathan Isaac and Wendell Carter Jr. bring length and physicality that can disrupt Boston\u2019s rhythm. Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, and Anthony Black add point-of-attack pressure that can blow up actions before they even start. If Orlando is bumping cutters, contesting every catch, and forcing Boston into isolation-heavy possessions again, the series starts to look a lot like last year. Low scoring, choppy, and closer than it should be.<\/p>\n They don\u2019t need to out-execute Boston. They just need to drag them into discomfort.<\/p>\n Worry Level: Your phone slips out of your pocket while you\u2019re getting out of the car. (Boston in 5)<\/p>\n You\u2019re not panicking, but you might get that uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach.<\/p>\n Orlando doesn\u2019t have the offensive ceiling to win a clean series against Boston, but their size, physicality, and defensive discipline can absolutely make this harder than it should. If the Celtics lose their offensive patience or let the game turn into isolation basketball for long stretches, this will get annoying quickly, even if Boston is still the better team.<\/p>\n However, despite your phone clanking off the pavement, you\u2019ve actually got a solid case on. Don\u2019t sweat this matchup.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
Average score: Boston 119.7 \u2014 Orlando 115.7
Injuries: Ongoing flux \u2014 Franz Wagner nearing return, others (Jonathan Isaac, Anthony Black) working back into the mix.
When you boil it down: Big, physical, defensive-minded team that wants to drag you into the mud and make every possession uncomfortable.<\/p>\n