Backs are against the wall. It is do or die. Win, or go home. Anything can happen. Whatever your favorite little saying is for a Game 7 applies here. The Philadelphia 76ers, a team that barely made it into the postseason, has pushed the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics to the brink of elimination. It is Game 7, so we have to bet on it; those are the rules.

Philadelphia has won two games in Boston already, and now they need to take three of four in the series in order to advance. In the last two games, the 76ers have looked great. They have held the Celtics to just 97 points in Game 5 and 93 points in Game 6.

In fact, in all three of their wins, the 76ers have held the Celtics to under 100 points. They aren’t exactly known for their defense, but it certainly looks like that’s where their success is this postseason.

On offense, the team looks very crisp. Tyrese Maxey has been able to get to his spots and has shot the ball very well this series. VJ Edgecombe has looked like a veteran instead of a rookie. Joel Embiid’s return has been a shot in the arm for the squad, and Paul George has been very effective.

I won’t say that Philadelphia has been overly great from deep, which is actually a very good indicator that they can win Game 7.

The Celtics, in the losses, have obviously shot poorly, but it is very surprising just how bad it has been. They only shot 29% from deep in Game 6, and their free throws were just 9-for-16. Jaylen Brown, usually very reliable, went just 2-for-6 from the charity stripe. Celtics starters combined to score just 46 points. The majority of these games have been very one-sided, with the winning team dominating. Only one game was decided by 10 points or fewer.

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Boston is one of those teams that tends to live and die by the three, and unfortunately for their fans, they’ve been dying the past two games. You would like to assume that returning home will give them a chance to get back to some familiar sight lines.

Additionally, it isn’t normal for the team to struggle like this for so long. The key to their success might not be Brown or Jayson Tatum, but may lie with Derrick White, who has underperformed in this series. He looked a bit better in the Game 6 loss, scoring 11 points, shooting 50% from deep, and recording three steals.

There are two pathways to this game, and I think the spread and total are extremely correlated in this game. First, for the 76ers to win the game, they will need to keep the Celtics’ scoring in check again. Holding Boston to under 100 points again seems like a big challenge. But, if this game goes under, the 76ers will cover the spread.

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If the game goes over, the Celtics will win, and I’m guessing it will be a blowout game. Boston has the capability of destroying teams. The Celtics have played in four Game 7s since 2022. They crushed the Bucks 109-81, beat the Heat 100-96, dominated the 76ers 112-88, and lost the most recent to the Heat in 2023, 103-84. The Celtics went 3-1 with two dominating wins.

The lone loss was ugly and at home to the Heat. It is hard to believe the Celtics will lose three of four at home, but the 76ers look great. I’m laying off the spread, but I think the Celtics cover. I also think this game goes over. 206.5 is too low of a total, and I expect at least one of these teams to get to 110 points.

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024 

Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub refused to shake hands or even stand beside Israel Football Association Vice President Basim Sheikh Suliman during a tense exchange at the FIFA Congress Thursday.

Both officials were invited to the stage by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, but the Palestinian representative resisted efforts to bring him closer to his Israeli counterpart.

Infantino briefly placed a hand on Rajoub’s arm and gestured for him to step forward, but Rajoub did not comply.

The Palestinian FA, led by Rajoub, has long pushed for Israel to be suspended from international soccer competition.

Rajoub defended his decision, saying he remains committed to formal processes but believes stronger action is needed.

“I still respect and follow the legal procedure, but I think it’s time to understand that Israel should be sanctioned. The double-standard policy should stop,” Rajoub said, according to The Times of Israel.

“I refused to shake hands. Sport is sport. … For me, that should be respected, but if the other side is representing a criminal like Bibi [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] and speaking on behalf of Bibi as if Bibi is Mother Teresa, how can I shake hands or have a photo with such a man?

HS BASKETBALL COACH SUSPENDED AFTER HANGING UP PALESTINIAN FLAG, REFUSING TO SHAKE HANDS WITH JEWISH COACHES

“I think Gianni has the right to try to bridge gaps and bring people together, but I think maybe he does not understand or does not know the deep suffering of the Palestinian people.”

After the exchange, Infantino addressed the room, urging cooperation.

“We will work together, President Rajoub, Vice President Suliman. Let’s work together to give hope to the children. These are complex matters,” Infantino said.

Speaking just before the incident, Suliman emphasized the unifying role of the sport.

“In football, there is no place for politics,” Suliman said. “Everyone has the right to play and compete. We are teaching children values like respect, equality and love for others, and we hope that by the next time we meet, the situation will be better. We extend a hand to the Palestinian FA in the spirit of those shared values.”

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UEFA was reportedly moving toward a vote to suspend Israel over the war in Gaza in September, but the motion was put on pause. 

Infantino announced no action would be taken against the team on Oct. 3 after a historic peace proposal by President Donald Trump and Netanyahu.

However, even after the peace proposal, Israeli sports teams have faced opposition and exclusion.

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Posted along the left-field fence at Birmingham High are the years it won City Section baseball titles: 1964, 1966, 1969, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023.

Nowhere is there any recognition for winning a West Valley League title. That’s because the current coach, Matt Mowry, has won five City titles and zero league titles during his 20 seasons. He might need to make room for a first West Valley title after the Patriots completed a two-game sweep this week of El Camino Real, winning on Friday 9-1.

Nathan Soto struck out five and walked none in six innings. Carlos Acuna, Toni Mendoza and Jordan Lindsay each had two hits.

The Patriots (22-4, 11-2) have a one-game lead over El Camino Real (18-8, 10-3) going into a two-game series with Cleveland next week. Athletic director Rick Prizant has always joked with Mowry that he wants City titles, not necessarily league titles, but the players were determined this season to end Mowry’s drought.

“Our guys came in with a good approach and stuck to it and performed in all aspects,” Mowry said.

The hitters continued their mastery of El Camino Real pitching, hitting one ball after another to right field. During a seven-run third inning, Aidan Martinez had the big hit, a two-run double down the right-field line. Acuna followed with an RBI single, Mendoza had a two-run single and JuJu Monroe-Truitt had an RBI single.

Chatsworth 1, Cleveland 0: Isaiah Sanchez threw a five-hit shutout for the Chancellors.

Granada Hills 5, Taft 1: Foss Bohlen struck out seven in six innings for the Highlanders, who close the regular season with a two-game series against El Camino Real next week.

Monroe 7, Chavez 1: The Vikings clinched the East Valley League title, their first league title since 1995. Felipe Gonzalez threw six scoreless innings.

Bell 11, Legacy 1: Jayden Rojas struck out six with no walks in five innings while giving up one hit. Armando Aguilar had two hits and two RBIs.

Garfield 11, South East 1: CJ Aguayo had a three-run triple and Victor Alvarez added three RBIs for Garfield.

Norco 7, Corona 2: Dylan Seward and Jacob Melendez hit home runs to help Norco clinch the Big VIII League championship. Melendez threw a complete game with five strikeouts and no walks.

Corona Santiago 7, Corona Centennial 6: Striker Pence homered for the Sharks. Jesse Mendoza had three hits for Centennial.

Villa Park 2, Cypress 0: Logan Hoppie threw the complete game with six strikeouts for Villa Park.

Oaks Christian 8, Calabasas 7: KJ Henrich broke a 7-7 tie with an RBI double in the seventh. Carson Sheffer hit his fourth home run and finished with three RBIs. Jack Brinkman had three hits. Auron Blackledge and Evan Barak homered for Calabasas.

Westlake 15, Newbury Park 6: Holden Backus had two hits and four RBIs for Westlake. Carson Richter hit a grand slam for Newbury Park.

Thousand Oaks 5, Agoura 4: The Lancers rallied from a 4-0 deficit. Jake Ange had a home run.

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 2, Bishop Alemany 0: Holden Newhouse and JuJu Diaz-Jones combined for the shutout to help the Knights clinch a playoff spot from the Mission League.

Chaminade 9, Harvard-Westlake 5: Anthony Costa and Robby Morgan each had two hits and two RBIs and Isaiah Hearn hit a three-run home run to lead the Eagles. Louis Lappe went four for four to lead Harvard-Westlake.

Sierra Canyon 10, Loyola 0: Theo Swafford had a double and three-run home run for Sierra Canyon.

St. Francis 10, Crespi 6: Danny Izaguirre had two hits and four RBIs for St. Francis.

Temecula Valley 3, Vista Murrieta 2: Taden Krogsgaard had two hits for Temecula Valley.

JSerra 9, Santa Margarita 6: The Lions completed a three-game sweep of Santa Margarita. Blake Bowen hit a home run in all three games. Shane D’Arcy had three hits for JSerra.

St. John Bosco 6, Mater Dei 3: Jhett Ohira had two hits and two RBIs for the Braves. Sebastian Navarro homered for Mater Dei.

Orange Lutheran 3, Servite 1: Sam Principe threw a complete game, giving up three hits for Orange Lutheran.

Huntington Beach 8, Newport Harbor 1: Parker Leoff contributed two doubles for Huntington Beach.

West Ranch 10, Hart 2: Ty Diaz went three for three and Caydin Wilson had three RBIs as West Ranch earned a share of the Foothill League title.

Valencia 14, Golden Valley 1: Zach Davis had three hits and three RBIs for Valencia.

Redondo Union 10, Mira Costa 4: Keiji Hattori led the way with three hits for Redondo Union.

Softball

Granada Hills 16, Taft 2: Dahlia Perez had a grand slam during a 15-run second inning.

JSerra 3, Orange Lutheran 1: Liliana Escobar recorded 13 strikeouts and gave up three hits in the Trinity League win.

Norco 11, Corona Santiago 0: Peyton May struck out 13 and Sadie Burroughs hit a three-run home run for Norco.