The Philadelphia 76ers face a monumental challenge as they enter their first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics. As the No. 7 seed, the Sixers are tasked with dethroning the powerhouse No. 2 seed, a battle made even steeper by the absence of their MVP center, Joel Embiid, to start the series.

History casts a long shadow over this matchup for Philadelphia. The Celtics have dominated this historic rivalry, winning 15 of their 22 postseason series, including the last six consecutive meetings. The recent playoff landscape in the Eastern Conference offers little comfort for underdogs, either.

A startling trend reveals just how lopsided first-round series have been. Over the last seven seasons, 27 of the 28 East first-round matchups have been either a sweep or a 3-1 series lead after four games. The sole exception was the 2024 Cavaliers-Magic series. This pattern suggests an uphill climb for any lower seed hoping to extend a series, putting the Embiid-less Sixers in a particularly tough spot as significant underdogs.

Ultimately, Philadelphia's hopes of making this a competitive series likely rest on the health and timing of Joel Embiid's return from his recent appendectomy. If he can return swiftly and接近 his dominant form, he could single-handedly shift the momentum and prolong the fight. Without him at full strength, however, the historical trends and Boston's formidable roster point toward a short series, adding another chapter to this one-sided playoff history.