PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 02: Kelly Oubre Jr. #9 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Wells Fargo Center on April 02, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

The Philadelphia 76ers are entering their first-round playoff matchup with the rival Boston Celtics with the requisite respect for a team that has had a whole lot of success over the past half-decade.

“We’re playing against winners,” Sixers star forward Paul George said of the Celtis. “We’re playing against champions. This is where they play their best basketball. So we respect that. We‘re gonna have to challenge that, but you know they’ve been great for a couple years now.

“They’re a well-oiled machine over there. Great coach, great roster, two studs, superstars over there, and just a ton of just guys that just know how to play the right way. So it’s gonna be a challenge. We just gotta be ready for it.”

76ers Players Show Respect to Celtics Before First-Round Series

The Celtics have playoff experience in spades, and now that Jayson Tatum is back in action, they’re healthy too, which will make them an extremely difficult out. But we know that that the Sixers aren’t overlooking their opponent.

“A battle-tested team,” Kelly Oubre Jr. said of the Celtics. “They’re full strength now. So, it’s a matchup that we obviously don’t take lightly, and we got to go in there and just play all out for 48 minutes each and every game, and take it day by day, but just got to continue to take this momentum and carry it forward.”

For rookie guard V.J. Edgecombe, there’s no better indoctrination into professional basketball in Philadelphia than a playoff series with the hated Celtics.

For rookie guard V.J. Edgecombe, there’s no better indoctrination into professional basketball in Philadelphia than a playoff series with the hated Celtics. The fact that it’s his first ever playoff series is only fitting.

“A really good team,” Edgecombe said of the Celtics. “They just added Tatum back. We haven’t seen them with Tatum, but obviously they’re a really good team. I think we split the series this year. We just gotta just go out and play hard every night. They’re well coached. Obviously, they got a lot of shooters, a lot of great players. We just got to be ready for any adversity that’s going to come around.”

Boston Has Dominated Philadelphia in the Playoffs Recently

The Sixers and Celtics have a long history when it comes to postseason matchups. They’ve played in five separate series since 2000, and unfortunately for Philadelphia, Boston has completely dominated, winning all five of those series. The most recent series between the two teams was the Eastern Conference semifinals back in 2023, which the Celtics won in seven games to advance to the conference finals.

In all, the Celtics have bested the Sixers in six straight series. To find the last time that the Sixers beat the Celtics in a series, you’d have to go all the way back to 1982. So, while it’s technically a rivalry, it’s been a pretty one-sided one for quite a while now, which Sixers star center Joel Embiid comically acknowledged back in 2018.

“This is not a rivalry,” Embiid said after a loss to Boston. I don’t know our record against them, but it’s pretty bad. They always kick our ass.”