Sixers know the climb is uphill and without sure footing against Celtics

There is no false bravado, no claims to headwear resembling dogs, no pinning of targets on anyone's back. 

To a man, the Sixers know that they are in for an uphill battle with icy footing as they get set to begin their best-of-seven first-round playoff series against the Celtics in Boston on Sunday. Game time is set for 1 p.m.

The second-seeded Celtics, who went 56-26 during the regular season, present the problems that have become all too familiar with the Sixers and their fans. They have the stars in Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the gritty players in Derrick White and Hugo Gonzalez and the sharpshooters in Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard and Baylor Scheierman. They are steered by one of the best coaches in the league in Joe Mazzulla, and own perhaps the best home-court advantage when it comes to TD Garden.

Above all that, Boston just knows how to win. It is a system of winning. It is a culture of winning. It is a buy-all-in mentality of the organization that has carried it through many successful seasons and been the core of it's existence. And it carries over to playing the game the right way. Watch how many times in this series they will simply make the right play, come up with the key loose ball, extend a possession with desire and hustle. It isn't because of the group of players that were mentioned as much as it is what they are about.

And then comes the on-court matchups. Though he has played just 16 games since coming back from last season's Achilles' tear, Jayson Tatum hasn't really lost a step (no-pun intended) in his return. Yes, there is still a rustiness that missing 10 months will naturally bring, but he was still able to put up 21.8 points, 10 rebounds and 5.3 assists in his return. He is the engine of the team, even if a cylinder may not be running fully. 

So with Tatum missing so much time this season, in typical Celtics fashion, someone stepped right in to carry the load, and that was Jaylen Brown, who just may garner first-team All-NBA honors. Brown went for 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists this season.

"Those two guys (Brown and Tatum) have won," said Sixers forward Paul George. "JB and JT, they've won and they're mature, they're experienced. They've been together for a while. Same thing goes, we have to make it tough, we have to challenge them. Same mindset for me and Kelly (Oubre Jr.). If we've got a shot to beat them, we've got to make it as tough as possible for those two guys. 

"I've had my share of playing Boston with Jaylen and Jason. I know what to expect. I've never, in all of my years of playing, never played a playoff series in Boston, so I think that's more of an adjustment just to prepare for that environment that's going to be there. I've played against those two guys multiple times. I, personally, know how I'll have to prepare and get ready for that. It's no different. Whoever is thrown in front of us, in front of me, it's a series. You have to try to figure out how to beat them."

It will be the toughest puzzle for the Sixers to attempt to figure out all season.

Without Joel Embiid for the foreseeable future, the quest is even tougher. Though Boston isn't especially formidable up front as in other places, the advantage in the paint simply isn't there without Embiid. And don't forget the Celtics center Neemias Queta went off for 27 points and 17 rebounds against the Sixers last month without Embiid.

So the primary focus for the Sixers to win the series zones squarely in on their backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. The Celtics are a slower group when it comes to defending quick guards, so Maxey and Edgecombe may be able to keep games close or perhaps even grab a win or two. But it's a big ask to have guards carry you to playoff wins consistently. Couple that with the fact that both will have to be stoppers defensively and it just doesn't make for a good recipe for advancing.

The Sixers know it, but certainly aren't accepting it. This is a competitive group. It is one that is fully knowledgeable of the task at hand, but eager to challenge it and find out who they are as a team and as individuals. 

"They're very good and they've got some time together which gives them a little bit of knowing each other, knowing how to cover for each other, knowing how to play off each other," coach Nick Nurse said. "They play hard, they play together, they shoot the ball, all that kind of stuff. They're very, very good.

"Most of the time any of these games come down to, first of all, personnel. Who they have, is there anything we can do there, what are the matchups look like, how do we guard certain guys? And then the schemes kind of come next. What would be the A option, the B? What else can we go to, C? What could come down the line next? 

"They're hard to guard. They've got an incredible offense, they shoot a ton of threes, they've got a bunch of guys who can take you. If you say we're going to stay home and guard them one-on-one, well they've got a bunch of guys that can score one-on-one and they'll take you deep into the paint to do it. It's a tremendous challenge. They don't win as much as they've won and win as much as they have this year without having some really, really good players that do a lot of things well at a high level."

To have any chance, the Sixers will need to rebound the basketball as Boston is almost unstoppable when allowed to extend possessions. They know and the fans do, also. Too many of those daggers can be deadly.

"Highlight when it comes down to postseason play is possessions and our Achilles' heel has been giving offensive rebounds or giving teams extra possessions," said George. "If there is an attention to detail for us, it's to limit how many possessions we give the opposing team. It should be an emphasis for us to rebound better in the postseason."

And it still may not be enough. But more than actually winning the series, finding out who this group is, seeing how a rookie like Edgecombe reacts to the playoffs, and watching Maxey be the ultimate leader will be the most likely talking points when the series wraps up.