The Sixers: How?

Spike could not be more stunned about how Sixers-Celtics has unfolded.

This Sixers series against the Celtics is the single most shocked I’ve been by anything that has happened during the Process Era. I am trying to figure out what emotion I can express to you the morning after Game 6, and all I keep saying to myself is “I can’t believe this is happening.”

I am obviously elated, and still kind of anxious (as they still have to win one more game), but the number one thing I am is shocked.

Markelle Fultz forgetting how to shoot was less surprising. Bryan Colangelo’s burners? Easier to predict. Zhaire Smith almost dying because of a food allergy he didn’t know he had from food that the Sixers served him? Well, if you look at the odds, there are a lot of food allergies out there and a Sixer was bound to have one of them.

Something happened prior to the 4th quarter of game five that turned the team into the ideal version of themselves. The way they’ve defended for the last game and a quarter is just not something I believed they could do. They went from a team that gave up more open threes than any team I’ve ever watched in my adult life to being able to prevent the Boston Celtics, a team that is built around getting open threes, from getting any of them.

There were no signs pointing to this happening prior to this series starting.

(Before I continue, I know you could be reading this saying out loud, “I knew they were going to win!” I am happy for you. I believe you thought they were going to win. If we’re all being honest with ourselves you’ve said this every time.)

The numbers didn’t say it could happen. The Celtics were one of the best teams in the league on offense and defense all year long. The Sixers were, even with Joel and PG on the court, pretty uninspiring.

The vibes certainly weren’t pointing to it. The Celtics went into the playoffs with a “we can win even sitting all of our best players” victory over the Magic, while the Sixers fumbled themselves into the play-in, and their best player had an emergency appendicitis.

History was not on our side. The Sixers haven’t beaten the Celtics in a playoff series since Ronald Reagan’s first term in office. And once the playoffs began, once the Celtics went up 3-1, 95.6 of those teams win the series. The Sixers have never won a playoff series after going down 3-1.

Mike predicted a sweep. AU was writing missives about how sad we all are just a few days ago. The Stat Man was like “better pray!” None of us saw this coming.

And yet, here the Sixers are, on the verge of the first good playoff series win since we’ve been doing the Ricky.

A lot of times people say, “I’d be happy to be wrong but…” right before they say they think something bad is going to happen. Every time I laughed at the idea of the Sixers winning this series, I would say that.

Needless to say, very wrong. Very happy. Go win Game 7.

Team Ricky

• Most of the content we’ve produced over the last week is really not that timely to be consuming now, to be honest.

• Here’s last night’s Ricky. It’s a good one. There is an NSFW part toward the end where I suggest Nick Nurse might show up on my doorstep and play a guitar solo with his dick so be careful there.

• Beckett, the Stat Man, wrote about how the SIxers could win Game 6. I suppose all of this holds for Game 7.

• The new album from The Fray is my favorite album of 2026 so far. It’s really incredible. We did an episode of The Carl Landry Record Club about it. If you want to suggest an album for the podcast, do it here.

Can They Do It Again?

Team Non-Ricky

• Kelly Oubre is a gift. Speaking of surprising, never thought he would become what he is. May he never sign anywhere else (unless it’s a record deal).

• KOC with some kind words about Maxey.

• I don’t really have anything else. The Sixers forced a Game 7 with the Celtics. The Flyers are not only in the playoffs but are “the hot young team nobody wants to face with the hot goalie.” The Phillies are now undefeated with Donnie Baseball signing the lineup cards (shout out SixersAdam). Soak it in, baby.