Celtics vs. 76ers: Previewing Boston, Philadelphia in the first round

Now that the Boston Celtics are set to take on the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2026 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs, what do we need to know about the series? It has become something of a ritual to face the Sixers early in the postseason for Boston in recent years, and up until now, it has typically gone the Celtics way even in series where the games were close. Now, Philly is in the midst of the start of a new era with rising stars Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe set to take the reigns from aging vets Paul George and Joel Embiid. And with latter dealing with a serious injury and the former still untested in the postseason, just what sort of an opponent are the Celtics facing? The hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" sat down to flesh out the outline of the seven-game series set to kick off Sunday, as well as what we expect in terms of matchups, play style, and outcome. We also get caught up on all the news of Boston's off week and more, so be sure to tune in. Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.