Schedule and 2011-12 Results
Regular Season Records: Boston 39-27, Philadelphia 35-31
Game 1 on Saturday, 12 May: Philadelphia loses at Boston, 92-pts-91
Game 2 on Monday, 14 May: Philadelphia wins at Boston, 82-pts-81
Game 3 on Wednesday, 16 May: Boston wins at Philadelphia, 107-pts-91
Game 4 on Friday, 18 May: Boston loses at Philadelphia, 92-pts-83
Game 5 on Monday, 21 May: Philadelphia loses at Boston, 101-pts-85
Game 6 on Wednesday, 23 May: Boston loses at Philadelphia, 82-pts-75
Game 7 on Saturday, 26 May: Philadelphia loses at Boston, 85-pts-75

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 7: Winning their MLB/NBA/NHL-leading 21st Game 7 in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series history, the Boston Celtics hosted and defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 85-pts-75 for a 4-games-3 MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1179 victory. The series 1179 victory improves the Boston Celtics best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 62-21 overall and 19-7 in the Quarterfinals round. The series 1179 loss drops the Philadelphia 76ers best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 19-25 overall and 9-11 in the Quarterfinals round. The win order for the victorious Boston Celtics in series 1179 was WLWLWLW: Series 1179 thus becomes the fourth NBA Quarterfinals series, the 13th NBA series (all rounds), and the 22nd MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow this win order to completion. Series 1179 is the second MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 “punch-counterpunch” (WLWLWLW win order) series in the Spring 2012 playoff season (series 1163, won by the New York Rangers over the Washington Capitals in the 2012 NHL Quarterfinals, was the first), but only the fourth in the current millennium. Of the 13 NBA best-of-7 “punch-counterpunch” playoff series to date, six have been won by the Boston Celtics – no other NBA team has won more than two. The Boston Celtics thus advance to meet the Miami Heat in series 1182, in the 2012 NBA Semifinals (Eastern Conference Finals).

After Game 6: The Philadelphia 76ers hosted and defeated the Boston Celtics 82-pts-75, thus tying MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1179 at 3-games-all and forcing a Game 7. The Boston Celtics have a best-of-7 NBA playoffs Game 7 record of 20-7 overall and 17-4 at home. Those 20 Game 7 victories are an MLB/NBA/NHL most. The Philadelphia 76ers have a best-of-7 NBA playoffs Game 7 record of 5-6 overall and 1-5 on the road. Boston lost its last Game 7 at home, in series 1080 to the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Quarterfinals. The sole Philadelphia Game 7 road victory occurred in series 408, in which the 76ers won Game 7 in Boston over the Celtics in the 1982 NBA Semifinals. All else equal, home teams in best-of-7 NBA playoff Game 7 have an 87-22 (.798) record. Series 1179 Game 6 was the fifth in best-of-7 NBA playoff history in which the teams scored the identical number of points in the first and fourth quarters (Philadelphia 22, Boston 19).

After Game 5: With MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1179 back in Massachusetts for Game 5, the Boston Celtics hosted and defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 101-pts-85 to take a 3-games-2 series 1179 lead. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the Boston Celtics have a 35-2 series record and a 20-17 Game 6 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the Philadelphia 76ers have a 0-12 series record and a 4-8 Game 6 record with an active four-Game 6 losing streak. The two Boston losses after the Celtics led 3-games-2 occurred in series 1080 (to the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Quarterfinals) and 1118 (to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals). Boston once had a 32-0 series record upon leading 3-games-2, but has only a 3-2 series record in its last five such series.

After Game 4: Trailing MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1179 by 15 points at halftime and by as many as 18 points at low ebb, the host Philadelphia 76ers rallied to defeat the Boston Celtics 92-pts-83 and tie series 1179 at 2-games-all. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Boston Celtics have a 28-10 series record and a 27-11 Game 5 record (with an active seven-Game 5 winning streak), while the Philadelphia 76ers have a 5-7 series record and a 5-7 Game 5 record. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Philadelphia 76ers have a 5-0 series record upon winning Game 5, and a 0-7 series record upon losing Game 5. In the history of best-of-7 format NBA playoff games, teams such as the 76ers which trailed by 15 points at halftime (irrespective of site) had a 6-58 (.094) game record.

After Game 3: With MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1179 in Pennsylvania for Games 3 and 4, the Boston Celtics visited and defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 107-pts-91 to take a 2-games-1 series 1179 lead. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the Boston Celtics have a series record of 39-3 with an active seven-series winning streak, and an 18-24 Game 4 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the Philadelphia 76ers have a 2-13 series record and a 5-10 Game 4 record. The three Boston series losses in this situation occurred in series 592 (to the Detroit Pistons in the 1991 NBA Quarterfinals – the last series the two-time defending NBA champions would win before getting swept in the following round and beginning an eleven-season hiatus from best-of-7 NBA playoff action), 616 (to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1992 NBA Quarterfinals – the last NBA Quarterfinals series Cleveland would win in 15 years), and 867 (to the New Jersey Nets in the 2002 NBA Semifinals – the first of two consecutive NBA Semifinals series won by the New Jersey Nets). The two 76ers series wins in this situation occurred in series 838 (over the Toronto Raptors in the 2001 NBA Quarterfinals – the Raptors’ first best-of-7 NBA playoff series ever) and 842 (over the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2001 NBA Semifinals – a series defeat for Milwaukee that began an active best-of-7 NBA playoff five-series losing streak for the Bucks). Series 1179 Game 2 marks the second time in best-of-7 NBA playoff history that the Boston Celtics won a Game 3 by 16 points to take a 2-games-1 series lead; the first was in series 136, in which Boston defeated the Hawks in St. Louis 102-pts-86 for a 2-games-1 lead in the 1960 NBA Finals, which Boston eventually won in seven games.

After Game 2: MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1179 Game 2 resulted in another single-point margin of victory, but this time, it was the visiting Philadelphia 76ers which emerged victorious. Philadelphia defeated the Boston Celtics 82-pts-81 to tie series 1179 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Philadelphia 76ers have an 8-12 series record and a 11-9 Game 3 record, while the Boston Celtics have a 26-13 series record and a 21-18 Game 3 record. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff series, series 1179 is only the second in which a team won Game 1 by one point and lost Game 2 by one point: In series 1083, the Orlando Magic defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers by one point in Game 1 and lost by one point in Game 2 of their 2009 NBA Semifinals series - Orlando would win that series in six games.

After Game 1: Trailing by ten points after one quarter, the Boston Celtics hosted and defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 92-pts-91 to take a 1-game-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1179. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Boston Celtics have a 51-5 series record (with an active seven-series winning streak) and a 34-22 Game 2 record (with an active four-Game 2 winning streak). When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Philadelphia 76ers have a 4-17 series record and a 10-11 Game 2 record. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff games from 1947 through Friday 11 May 2012, inclusive, home teams trailing by ten points after one quarter had an 11-23 (.324) game record.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2011-12 NBA regular season, the Boston Celtics finished four games ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers. From 1947 through the 2012 NBA Preliminary round, inclusive, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by four regular-season games, they have posted a 22-8 (.733) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1179 is the 44th best-of-7 NBA playoff series for the Philadelphia 76ers, and the 83rd for the Boston Celtics. In best-of-7 NBA playoff series, Philadelphia has a 19-24 series record, a 9-10 Quarterfinals-round series record, and a 22-21 Game 1 record, while Boston has a 61-21 series record, an 18-7 Quarterfinals-round record, and a 56-26 Game 1 record. Series 1179 is the eleventh best-of-7 NBA playoff series meeting between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics; Boston won six of the first ten meetings.