Only one of four series in the second round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs made it to a seventh and final game.
That Game 7 will be played in Boston later this afternoon, with the Celtics hosting the Philadelphia 76ers. Boston forced this decisive game with a hard-fought victory on the road Thursday night.
Coming home to TD Garden, the Celtics have been installed as 6.5-pound favorites for today’s game.
ESPN’s Matchup Predictor also expects Boston to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
According to the metrics from the Worldwide Leader, the Celtics have a 60.8% chance to win Game 7, against just 39.2% odds for the 76ers.
For the Celtics, today’s game is the next step in their quest to finally get over the hump and win a title. Boston won the Eastern Conference last season, but fell to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.
As for Philadelphia, just advancing past the second round has been an obstacle the franchise hasn’t conquered since 2001. The 76ers have been knocked out in the Eastern Conference semifinals six times since then, including in four of the last five years.
Game 7 between the Celtis and Sixers will tip off at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.