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What is it about athletes from Philadelphia always going the distance?
The Philadelphia 76ers have taken a page out of Rocky Balboa’s playbook, battling back to force a Game 7 showdown with the Boston Celtics.
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After falling behind 3-1 in this first-round series, the Sixers have clawed their way back thanks to a surge on the defensive end. Leading that charge is Kelly Oubre Jr., who has set the tone with his energy and effort.
While Oubre has made life difficult for Boston’s top scorers, he’s also proven capable of making an impact offensively.
Our 76ers vs. Celtics predictions like Philly’s forward to produce, and my NBA picks are taking Oubre to go Over a short points prop Saturday.
76ers vs Celtics prediction
76ers vs Celtics best bet: Kelly Oubre Over 9.5 points (+100)
Defense is Kelly Oubre’s calling card, but after a solid offensive start to the series, he disappeared in Games 4 and 5.
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His usage is modest to begin with, yet dropped from 16.4% in the opening three games — scoring 10, 12, and 17 points respectively — to just 8.6% in Games 4 and 5. That resulted in a total of only six points on 2-for-11 combined shooting.
Oubre did find his way back into the offense in Game 6. His usage surged back to 17% and led to a 6-for-11 performance for 14 points.
Oubre was active off the ball and benefited from extra attention being thrown at Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. Boston sent double teams at the 7-footer, opening up space in the dunker’s spot for Oubre to cut to the rim. He was also able to get inside as a ball handler on high-screen action.
With Embiid serving as the biggest problem for the Boston Celtics defense, we could see Boston adjust its matchups and use Jayson Tatum on the Sixers center. That would leave bigger bodies like Neemias Queta or Nikola Vucevic to mind the 6-foot-8 Oubre.
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From there, Oubre can face up and take those plodding players off the dribble or make them pay from outside, should those centers stay home.
His projections for Game 7 sit between 12.5…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/76ers-vs-celtics-prediction-picks-170000198.html
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Publish date : 2026-05-02 17:33:00
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