The Philadelphia 76ers are set to travel to Boston for Game 5 of their opening-round playoff series. The Celtics, after winning both games in Philadelphia, have taken a commanding 3-1 series lead. They will be looking to close out the series tonight, while the Sixers, whose only win came in Boston this series, will be looking to extend the series further.
Who: Philadelphia 76ers (1-3) at Boston Celtics (3-1)
When: 7 p.m. ET
Where: TD Garden, Boston, MA
Watch: ESPN
The Sixers suffered an overwhelming defeat in their Game 4 matchup on Sunday. Philadelphia struggled and ultimately failed to keep up with the Celtics ' three-point barrage, losing Game 4 128 - 96.
Philadelphia's next highest leading scorers were Paul George and Quentin Grimes, both of whom had efficient but quiet nights. George shot 3-for-3 from deep, scoring 16 points for the Sixers, while Grimes went 5-for-7 from the field, leading their bench with 12.
That being said, they were unable to get consistent offense from Kelly Oubre Jr. or V.J. Edgecombe. The two of them combined to shoot 0-for-6 from beyond the arc and 2-for-15 from the field. If the Sixers have any chance of making a comeback, they will need a consistent offensive performance from these two.
The Boston Celtics are a team that lives and dies by their ability to shoot three-pointers. This was apparent on Sunday, when the Celtics took 53 three-point attempts in their Game 4 victory, making 24. For comparison, the Sixers were 9-for-30 from long distance. Payton Pritchard led the way for the Celtics, splashing six threes of his own in his 32-point performance. With that in mind, we have seen what it looks like when the Celtics' shooting turns on them. In Game 2, Boston shot 13-for-50, opening the door for Philadelphia to snatch their first win of the series.
There is a second statistic the Boston Celtics have built their series lead on: rebounding. In Game 4, the Philadelphia 76ers were outrebounded 51-30. This statistical dominance is indicative of the series as well. The Celtics have, no matter the outcome of the game, outrebounded the Sixers every single game this playoff series. While Philadelphia has gotten close a few times, the combination of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Neemias Queta has been unstoppable on the boards for the Celtics, while 20-year-old rookie guard VJ Edgecombe leads the Sixers in rebounds in the series.
The Sixers are down 3-1 with their backs against the wall heading into a hostile environment. The basis for winning starts with their two best players. Philadelphia needs positive performances from both Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid if they want to have any chance at extending this series. However, these two will likely not be enough to win on their own tonight.
The Sixers desperately need one of their other players to step up. Paul George has been incredibly efficient but also passive in his first playoff appearances with Philadelphia, averaging only 17.5 points on 50.0% shooting from the field and 58.8% from beyond the arc. Look for a more aggressive Paul George with more designed playcalls for George out of timeouts, something Nurse utilized well in their Game 2 victory.
Also needed will be the young guard V.J. Edgecombe. Edgecombe was the driving factor in the Sixers' first and only playoff win thus far in the series. In Game 2, Edgecombe dropped 30 points on 6-for-10 shooting from beyond the arc. In every other game combined, Edgecombe has yet to make a three-pointer, shooting 0-for-16. The team needs Edgecombe’s shot to fall this game if they are going to have any chance at fighting back tonight.
Finally, the Sixers will need a great coaching performance from Nick Nurse. Nurse has had an up-and-down series against the Celtics, quite indicative of his tenure with Philadelphia in general. However, he will need to be at the top of his game against Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla. This means motivating his players and calling effective and efficient plays throughout the game.
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