NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
I play in a basketball league and our championship game is tonight. Like most men’s basketball leagues or recreational leagues, the playoffs are not a series. They are a game, do-or-die situations. The NBA doesn’t (no major sport does outside of football), but it gives us a chance to see who the truly better team is — not just a potentially luckier team. We may get an answer tonight if the Celtics or 76ers are the better team in Game 6 of this series.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid drives against Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu in the third quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pa., on Nov. 30, 2025. (Kyle Ross/Imagn Images)
The Celtics turned in a great performance this season, despite many questions surrounding the team. Two years removed from winning the NBA championship, the team lost Jayson Tatum to injury. They traded away Jrue Holiday, a guy who provided veteran leadership, solid outside shooting and excellent defense. Kristaps Porzingis wasn’t part of the championship, but he was a big reason why they were expected to repeat. Without him, the Celtics were down 60% of their starting lineup this year.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
They finished with the second seed and a 56-26 record behind Jaylen Brown and a restructuring of the bench. In the first four games of the series, Boston looked good. They dropped a game because VJ Edgecombe took over and looked dominant for Philadelphia. Outside of that game, Boston was great … until Tuesday, when they were dominated on both sides of the ball. In their two losses, they scored just 97 points. To make matters worse, they allowed 111 or more.
Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics celebrates after scoring against the Dallas Mavericks in the second quarter at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts on March 6, 2026. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
The Philadelphia 76ers have to be one of the most frustrating teams in the entire league. If you’re a fan, just pray that the team finds a way to get healthy. Joel Embiid is perhaps the most unreliable superstar in sports. The worst part is, you’re not going to find anyone to replace Embiid’s production if he’s healthy. So the 76ers are basically hampered by his health. They’ve surrounded him with talent, but they haven’t found a combination that would get them even to the NBA Finals.
They still have a chip and a chair tonight as they need to win the next two games. In two of their losses, they were completely dominated. The Celtics won two of the games by 30 plus points. In the 76ers’ two wins, they won by over 14 points. So there has only been a close match between the two teams. Game 3 saw the 76ers lose 108-100, but it was the only game in the series not decided by double digits.
Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George talks with guards Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe during a break in the third quarter against the Orlando Magic in the play-in round of the 2026 NBA playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 15, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
In tonight’s matchup, the 76ers have already promised to put on a better performance than they did the last time they played in front of the Philly faithful. In Game 4, the last time they were in Philadelphia, they lost the game by 32 points. They didn’t even win a single quarter. Tatum, Brown and Payton Pritchard combined for 82 points, just 14 fewer than the 76ers as a team. Embiid should be back for this one and it makes a big difference for the 76ers. It makes this a much more even series. He was great in Game 5 and I expect him to be solid tonight.
It will take a while to get back into game shape, but Embiid should be there now that this will be his third game. This is the big mismatch that the 76ers have and I expect them to take advantage of it. I like the idea of taking the 76s at +5.5, but they consistently turn out to let people down. I’ll take Embiid over 27.5 points. He had 26 in his return and 33 the other night. I’m also expecting 30 tonight.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pakinomist APP
For more information on sports betting and gambling, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
