Celtics vs Sixers Game Five: Closeout Showdown

0:00On April 28, Celtics take on the Sixers in Game 5 tonight at 7 p.m. Eastern, leading the series three games to one. Boston Crush Philly 123-91 in the opener, dropped Game 2-1-11 to 97, then edged out Game 3-1-0. 8-100 before blowing them out 128-96 in Game 4. Payton Pritchard dropped 32 in that last one, his best playoff night ever. Joel and Bede shocked everyone by suiting up in Game 4 just 17 days after appendix surgery, starting hot with the first 8 points for Philly. But Boston locked in, and now the Celtics head home to TD Garden aiming to wrap this first round series. They've shown some complacency this year, losing to tankers like the jazz and nets, so they can't sleep on a desperate Sixers squad. Fans no clothes out to tricky, the team up 3-1 often eases up, while the down squad fights like its do or die. History backs Boston here, they're 32-0 when leading 3-1 and Philly's 0-18 trailing 1-3.

1:06Both past Celtics' comebacks from that hole were against the Sixers, but odds favor a quick finish. Injuries look clean for Boston, Derek White and Jalen Browne shook off tweaks. In Bede's probable again, facing Neomyas Keta inside, while Jason Tatumgars, Paul George and White Shadows Tyree's Maxi. Keys stay simple, stingy defense, like Game 1's 38.9% hold on Philly, crashed the boards where Boston's dominated and cut. Turnovers after 17 in Game 3. Boston feeds off that home crowd energy tonight, matching Philly's urgency to punch their ticket to Round 2 and rest up. Mozilla's cruise days locked in, no room for slips. That's your update from Boston Celtics News today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with the story.