The Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics will kick off their Eastern Conference semifinals series Monday. The Sixers are preparing to play in a tough environment as the series begins in Beantown—they expect it will be much more intense than their first-round games in Miami.
"When we were in Miami...the gym was half-empty," Sixers backup forward Ersan Ilyasova said after Philly's practice Sunday, according to ESPN's Ian Begley. "But when you go to Boston, you will feel it. Even in the regular season, you know when you play that team, the arena is full, and they're really committed fans."
Fellow veteran J.J. Redick, who has been big for the Sixers in his first year with the team, echoed Ilyasova's comments about Boston.
"It's as loud as it gets for the playoffs," Redick said.
Interestingly, the Heat had a higher average game attendance than the Celtics this year.
Redick played against Boston with the Orlando Magic. He said those games "were as intense as any playoff games I've played in my career."
Boston is revered as one of the most raucous sports towns in America, but the undermanned Celtics will likely be playing without Jaylen Brown, who is doubtful with a hamstring injury. Still, the Sixers know the crowd could give the Celtics a boost.
"It's always tough to play at their place," Ilyasova said. "It's always crowded, and we have to come up with a lot of energy and edge to win the game."
Game One of Sixers-Celtics is set for 8 p.m. EST. It will air on TNT.
