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Brett Brown said Sixers’ character and talent will help them rebound from 2-0 hole vs. Celtics

The coach said Joel Embiid’s leadership comes from his on-court performance, and Al Horford can share his experience of 12 postseasons.

Sixers coach Brett Brown said his squad can rebound after losing the first two games of the series to the Celtics.
Sixers coach Brett Brown said his squad can rebound after losing the first two games of the series to the Celtics.Read moreKim Klement / USA Today Sports via AP Pool

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Brett Brown always raves about the 76ers being loaded with character guys.

Down two games to none in their first-round series with the Boston Celtics, the coach even said his squad has the talent and character to rebound. We may find out in Friday’s 6:30 p.m. Game 3 at The Field House.

“I think it’s going to come from different voices,” he said Thursday. “There is nobody in that locker room that is a kick-a-chair, swing-a-towel, flip-a-desk type of guy. That’s not a bad thing. We are all wired differently.”

Brown said Joel Embiid’s leadership comes from on-court performance. He added that Al Horford can share stories about his 12 seasons of postseason play. Brown mentioned that Tobias Harris is the emerging voice whether it’s talking about racial injustice or needed on-court improvements.

“And then you sort of got the two young guys,” he said. “Matisse Thybulle starts as a rookie, and NBA playoff game. Shake [Milton] came from the G-League and is my starting point guard. They [have] a little bit of a story to tell. "

Hayward knew right away something was wrong

Boston small forward Gordon Hayward knew something was wrong when he injured his ankle in the fourth quarter of Game 1. The Celtics announced Tuesday that he suffered a Grade III right ankle sprain. He’s expected to miss around four weeks.

“I knew right away,” he said Thursday. “I heard it. I felt it, and I knew it wasn’t just your casual rolled ankle.

“It was swollen by the time I was leaving the court. So I knew it was definitely worse than normal.”

He said his timeline to return is up in the air. It will be based on how his body reacts to rehabilitation. The Celtics won Game 2 easily without him and can go up 3-0 with a win Friday.,

“The thing about our team is we have a lot of talent,” he said. “A lot of guys that can pick up the slack. So that’s definitely a plus.

“I’m happy to see us playing well. I think we were playing our best basketball heading into this. So hopefully we can continue that.”