C's vs. Sixers - Breaking it Down

Rogers and the C's will try to take it to Dikembe Motumbo and the Sixers.

From Near
The Sixers – whose free throw percentage as a team was 77 percent - shot nearly 83 percent from the line versus the Celtics this year. Not only did they make the most of their opportunities, but they also had the most opportunities. In the Sixers win over Boston on January 25, the Sixers sunk 35 shots from the charity stripe – the most by a Celtics opponent in a game this year. Over the four game series, Philly hit 107-of-129 from the line, while four of their key players – Iverson, Coleman, Mutombo and Snow – all shot over 80 percent from the stripe versus Boston this year.

The Celtics, meanwhile, did not fare as well. Pierce, who finished in the NBA’s Top 3 in both free throws made and free throws attempted, hit only 34 of the Celtics 72 free throw makes this season versus the Sixers. Walker sunk 15-of-20. But no other player – outside of Mark Blount – attempted more than eight in the entire four-game series. In the Celtics lone victory over the Sixers this year, they hit on 28-of-32 from the line. Remember: the Celtics are 40-11 when they attempt 20 or more free throws as a team this year.

From Afar
Iverson – who shot 29 percent from beyond the arc this season - hit 50 percent (11-of-22) of his three-point attempts versus the Celtics this year. This is somewhat puzzling, as the Celtics have excellent three-point defense. They held opponents to just 34 percent shooting from three land, among the five best in the league.

On the other end of the court, the Celtics connected on just 29 percent of their three-pointers versus the Sixers this year. Fans who have watched the Celtics might be surprised by this because although they do not always shoot a high percentage, they often times make up for it in sheer volume of treys taken. However, when only 31-of -104 three-pointers find twine, that is not a healthy sign. Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker, who finished 1-2 in the NBA in three-pointers made, hit on just 18-of-68 from three-point land versus Philadelphia this season.

Glassy-Eyed
While Celtics fans should be used to Dikembe Mutombo and Derrick Coleman making a healthy living on the glass, there is one player that has hurt the Celtics efforts on the boards almost as much. Mutombo, Coleman and Matt Harpring (11) combined to grab 34 of the Sixers 52 offensive rebounds versus the Celtics this year. The 21 defensive boards logged by the Celtics in a loss to Philadelphia on December 17 is their fewest in a game this season. Remember, the Celtics are 23-29 when out-rebounded by their opponent this year, and you can expect when a team like Philly gets second chance shots, they will be followed by second chance points. In the Celtics win over Philly this year, they were only outdone 15-11 on the offensive glass.