The Philadelphia 76ers managed to rack up another win to stay alive, but this time around, they did more than just survive. Fresh off a dominant win in Game 6, they are now headed back to Boston to face the Celtics in a do-or-die Game 7 in order to determine which team gets to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Philly has all momentum going for it, but if there is one thing the team can draw from their Game 6 victory and closely monitor, it would be the bench scoring. As dominant as the starters were, the second unit was so porous that it was only able to extract six points as a collective. That simply cannot be the case in Game 7.
On the flip side, the Celtics bench scored 38. In fact, their second unit nearly made the game interesting in the fourth. Hence, ahead of a winner-takes-all situation in Game 7, the 76ers cannot rest on their laurels and be content with the lack of consistent and solid production they have been seeing from their bench as of late.
The 76ers bench has to get a lot better against the Celtics
The 76ers need all the help they ca get if they want to advance to the semis. And despite the sterling help they have enjoyed from their starters, it is also crucial for them to be able to remain being versatile enough to deploy different looks in Game 7 and possibly make the Celtics off-rhythm.
Quentin Grimes, who has played great basketball as of late, has since become a major contributor for the 76ers. His scoring has been hit or miss in the first round, but his workouts in the gym have made him all the more available to be a weapon off the bench. Having said, his increased activity has stemmed from his much improved defense.
In a rubber match, the team with the most unexpected contributions will surely win. While the 76ers do not have the level of depth the Celtics have reveled in, all they need is for the bench unit to be neutral at the very least come Game 7.
A hostile crowd and a motivated squad awaits the 76ers in Game 7. They are now determined to flip the script this time around, but before they can get what they want, their bench badly needs to be serviceable enough to negate whatever edge the Celtics have in that area.
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