The Boston Celtics host the Philadelphia 76ers in game five of their first-round NBA playoff series on Tuesday, April 28th at TD Garden, with tip-off set for 19:00 EST.
Boston comes into this one with full control of the series and now sits just one win away from closing things out in what would be a gentleman’s sweep.
For Philadelphia, it’s pretty simple – win or the season is over.
Game 4 felt like the deciding contest of the series.
Boston showed their depth and playoff experience, pulling away comfortably after a strong second-half performance, while Philadelphia once again struggled to find enough consistent scoring outside of its stars.
There was a lot of attention on Joel Embiid’s return, and while he showed flashes, the lack of support around him proved costly.
Now heading into game five, the pressure is fully on the Sixers to respond.
Boston Celtics team news and form
Boston comes into this game fully healthy and confident after a dominant showing last time out.
It was Payton Pritchard who set the tone early in game four, stepping up when Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were slow to get going initially.
Once those two found their rhythm, though, the game quickly shifted.
Tatum and Brown took over in the second half and never really looked back, closing things out comfortably.
That ability to get contributions from different players is what makes this Boston team so dangerous, and back at home, they’ll be expecting to finish the job.
Philadelphia 76ers team news and form
Philadelphia heads into Game 5 with Joel Embiid listed as probable, but they’ll need a lot more than just his presence if they want to extend the series.
Tyrese Maxey has carried a huge load, particularly from beyond the arc, but the supporting cast hasn’t quite delivered consistently enough.
VJ Edgecombe showed what he’s capable of earlier in the series, but that level needs to be there again.
The issue for Philly has been their offensive consistency. When the shots aren’t falling from outside, they’ve struggled to find other ways to generate offence.
Against a team like Boston over a seven-game series, the odds don’t weigh in your favour when you’re not at your best.
How will the Boston Celtics lineup against the Philadelphia 76ers?
PG Derrick White
SG Jaylen Brown
SF Sam Hauser
PF Jayson Tatum
C Neemias Queta
How will the Philadelphia 76ers lineup against the Boston Celtics?
PG Tyrese Maxey
SG VJ Edgecombe
SF Paul George
PF Kelly Oubre Jr
C Joel Embiid
Who will win Game 5 in Boston?
Boston has looked like the more complete team throughout this series.
They’ve got more depth, more scoring options, and they’ve shown they can win games in a multitude of different ways.
Philadelphia, on the other hand, have leaned heavily on Maxey and struggled to find consistent support around him.
With the crowd behind them and momentum firmly on their side, it’s hard to see Boston letting this slip.
They look ready to close out the series on home court, and I’ll be taking them to get the job done in style.
How to watch Philadelphia 76ers @ Boston Celtics live
Game five tips off at 19:00 EST on Tuesday, April 28th, from TD Garden in Boston.
Fans can watch the game live on ESPN and NBA League Pass.
