There’s No Place Like Home: Celtics Look to Stay Unbeaten in Boston in Decisive Game 5
- The Celtics can advance to the Eastern Conference Finals with a win over the 76ers on Wednesday night
- Can TJ McConnell deliver another monster game for the Sixers?
- Will Terry Rozier rediscover his stroke in time for Game 5?
The Celtics will try to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight season when they face the 76ers at TD Garden on Wednesday, May 9th.
Philadelphia staved off elimination on Monday night with a rousing 103-92 victory. Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid played well, as expected, but it was little-used reserve T.J. McConnell who had the biggest impact for the Sixers. The 26-year-old point guard made his first start of the postseason and he responded with a career-high 19 points to go along with seven rebounds and five assists.
TJ McConnell made his first start of the postseason and responded with a career-high 19 points to go along with seven rebounds, and five assists.
It was an eye-opening performance from the undrafted guard, who’s known more for his pesky defense than his scoring exploits.
After sparking the @sixers in Game 4, @TJMcConnell on the win. #NBAPostgame pic.twitter.com/csbz15Fg7n
— NBA (@NBA) May 8, 2018
Dario Saric also came up big for Philly, scoring a game-high 25 points on 9-17 shooting. The Croatian power forward feasted on Marcus Morris in one-on-one match-ups and even came up with a pair of defensive stops to help preserve the victory. Philadelphia will need timely contributions from both Saric and McConnell in order to extend their season tonight.
On the flip side, Boston will need to take better care of the ball and hit the glass. The Celtics had 15 turnovers and were out-rebounded 60-53 on Monday night. Al Horford and Co. can’t allow themselves to be pushed around in the paint if they hope to advance.
76ers vs Celtics Head-To-Head Results
| Date | Location | Score | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 7 – Playoffs | PHI | 103-92 | PHI |
| May 5 – Playoffs | PHI | 101-98 (OT) | BOS |
| May 3 – Playoffs | BOS | 108-103 | BOS |
| April 30 – Playoffs | BOS | 117-101 | BOS |
| Jan. 18 | BOS | 89-80 | PHI |
| Jan. 11 | PHI | 114-103 | BOS |
| Nov. 30 | BOS | 108-97 | BOS |
| Oct. 20 | PHI | 102-92 | BOS |
The Celtics have gone through numerous line-ups this season, but one thing that’s remained consistent is their dominance over the 76ers. Boston has won six of its eight meetings with Philadelphia this season and has achieved a +36 point differential during those dust-ups. Expect them to pad that total tonight.
Team Playoff Stats
| 108.4 | Points | 103.2 |
| 103.9 | Points Allowed | 101.6 |
| 43.2 | FG% | 44.6 |
| 33.5 | 3P% | 36.0 |
| 75.8 | FT% | 76.3 |
| 49.7 | REB | 42.8 |
Playoff Betting Trends
| 5-4 | SU | 7-4 |
| 5-4 | ATS | 8-3 |
| 4-5 | O/U | 7-4 |
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Injury Report
| CELTICS |
|---|
| (G) Shane Larkin – Shoulder – DAY TO DAY |
| (G) Kyrie Irving – Knee – OUT |
| (G) Gordon Hayward – Ankle – OUT |
| (F) Daniel Theis – Knee – OUT |
| 76ERS |
|---|
| None |
76ers vs Celtics Game 5 Betting Advice: Celtics 105-99
They say there’s no place like home, and that’s especially true for the Celtics, who are 6-0 this postseason when playing at TD Garden. Boston scores 15.7 more points, dishes out four more assists, and shoots nearly 10% better from behind the arc when playing in front of their home fans.
Boston scores 15.7 more points, dishes out four more assists, and shoots nearly 10% better from behind the arc when playing in front of their home fans.
A return to Boston should be enough to help younger players like Terry Rozier and Jaylen Brown get back on track. The two guards looked out of sync on Monday night, and combined for just 19 points after lighting up the Sixers in Games 2 and 3. They’re capable of far greater results and will be called upon to play additional minutes if Shane Larkin is unavailable.
The Celtics also have a little history on their side. No NBA team has ever won a series after trailing 3-0. Look for that trend to continue this evening as the Celtics end the Sixers’ postseason run.
Ryan worked as an Editor and resident Lead NBA and MLB Writer for SB from 2017-19. He has authored his own weekly columns for Fox Sports and AskMen, and has created successful campaigns for the WWE, the NHL, and the NFL. Ryan's critically acclaimed stories have been published in 20 books.
