The 76ers knotted up their series against the Celtics with a thrilling overtime victory in Game 4, and now the best-of-seven battle shifts back to Boston for Game 5 tied at 2-2. James Harden's heroics were a big part of the reason that the Sixers were able to even things up, as he turned in his second 40-plus point performance of the series in Game 4.
The Sixers showed some resilience and responded from a loss in Game 4, now it will the Celtics turn to try do the same. Here's a look at the start time, viewing information, odds, storylines and a prediction for the contest.
Celtics-76ers Game 5
- Date: Tuesday, May 9 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: TD Garden -- Boston, Massachusetts
- TV channel: TNT | Live stream: TNT app
- Odds: Celtics -7.5; O/U 213.5 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
76ers: James Harden has been a bellwether for the 76ers in the series against the Celtics. When things have gone well for Harden, they've gone well for Philly, too. The fact that the Sixers won the two games where Harden was ultra aggressive (Games 1 and 4) and dropped the two that he wasn't (Games 2 and 3) isn't a coincidence. With Embiid playing through a knee injury and the Celtics committing a ton of attention to him, Harden's aggression is a big boon for Philadelphia. Moving forward in what has become a best-of-three series, Harden's continued aggression is imperative for success for Philadelphia. They simply can't afford another performance like in Game 3 when his passivity became a major storyline.
Celtics: The Celtics have to figure out a way to get Jayson Tatum going. Tatum is one of the league's most elite scorers, but he has been held under 25 points in three straight games in the series after scoring 39 points in Game 1. This a guy who averaged 30 points per game during the regular season. Part of his struggles are the result of Philadelphia's defense, but some of it is simply due to him missing shots or settling for less than great looks. While Tatum's teammates have been able to pick up some of the scoring slack, the Celtics are going to need him to be a bit more productive on the offensive end. Look for the Celtics to run some plays for Tatum early in Game 5 to try to get him going.
Prediction
This game has the potential to be a close one, as both teams will be battling to take a 3-2 lead in the series. The Sixers could have some momentum after pulling out an overtime win in Game 4, and Joel Embiid has looked better as the series has gone on after missing the first game of the series with a knee injury. So, while the Celtics might be able to pull out a win, don't expect them to cover the spread. Pick: 76ers +7.5
