Stephen A. Smith believes Sixers will still fall to Celtics in semifinals

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The Philadelphia 76ers are still alive as they were able to overcome the Boston Celtics in Game 4 on Sunday. James Harden delivered another virtuoso performance as he had 42 points on 16-for-23 shooting and he was able to help the Sixers avoid a collapse.

With the series now shifting back to TD Garden for Game 5, this is a 2-2 series and Philadelphia has its chance to reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2001. There is still plenty of work to be done, but the Sixers have a good chance to get it.

However, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is not convinced they will get it done as he hopped on “First Take” to say this:

I don’t believe they can win the title. I don’t believe that. Okay. You know why I don’t believe that? Because I don’t believe they’re gonna beat Boston. That’s why. I don’t even get to Miami and New York. I don’t think they’re gonna beat Boston. I’m watching a Boston Celtics squad that’s making a myriad of mistakes that seems out of character, that’s depending too reliant on the 3-point shot, and then I watched a timeout yesterday take place, and Mazzulla said there’s another level we could go to defensively, you know? We got to do it and they put the clamps on the Sixers and came storming back and took the lead. I watched Marcus Smart make plays. I watched Al Horford record not one, but two blocks on Embiid. I watched Joel Embiid throwing pump fakes and being hesitant to go up because Al Horford was defending against them. That’s what I saw! And I’m like, wait a minute now. I watched Jayson Tatum have a couple of blocks. I’m just saying, the Boston Celtics to me are the better team. I got love for Philly, wouldn’t be mad at all in Philly won, rooting for Doc Rivers, my man, my brother loving to death, but I just feel like listen yesterday, as was rather the case in Game 1 was an aberration. I see the Boston Celtics winning this series. Do I believe James Harden making me believe the Sixers can win a title? No because I don’t what Game 1 and Game 4, you will see that the rest of this way and that’s respect to James Harden because I’m very…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/stephen-smith-believes-sixers-still-210358005.html?src=rss

Author : Sixers Wire

Publish date : 2023-05-08 21:03:58

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