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You know how Doc Rivers likes to abandon the offensive glass in order to get his guys to get back in transition defense faster? Well, expect more of that. As Dan Devine likes to point out, the Sixers have a lot of guys that like to run and they get a lot of their offense in transition. The Bulls are cut from the same cloth as the Celtics and they couldn't stop the Sixers from running either.
Will Philadelphia continue to emphasize transition chances as a foundational element in a game plan aimed at picking off another higher-seeded team? It'd certainly seem to make sense for coach Doug Collins to try; a quick look at the C's Synergy numbers reveals that, while the Celtics are a top-two team in the league in seven different defensive categories, transition defense isn't one of them. Their mark's still good — 1.14 points allowed per transition possession puts Boston in 11th place among 30 teams — but it's not as good as Chicago's, and Philadelphia was frequently able to find success when it cranked up the pace against that Bulls defense.
Toss in some tired legs and guys not being 100% and I'm more than a little concerned. Hopefully the Celtics can score points (forcing Philly to take it out of bounds) and slow down the pace whenever possible because I don't like our chances in a track meet.