Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET
Venue: TD Garden, Boston, MA
TV: ESPN
The Boston Celtics have a chance to punch their ticket to the second round and eliminate the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 5 of this best-of-7 first-round series. Boston holds a commanding 3-1 lead after dominating Game 4 in Philadelphia (128-96), even with Joel Embiid making his return from an appendectomy. The Sixers are now facing elimination on the road in a hostile TD Garden environment, where the Celtics have been dominant all season.
Team Records
Boston Celtics: 56-26 regular season (2nd in Eastern Conference); 3-1 in the series.
Philadelphia 76ers: 45-37 regular season (7th in Eastern Conference); 1-3 in the series.
Boston earned the No. 2 seed with one of the league’s best records and home-court advantage throughout the East bracket. Philadelphia advanced through the play-in as the No. 7 seed but has struggled against Boston’s depth and physicality in the playoffs.
Recent Team Forms
Celtics (last 10 games, including playoffs): 8-2, averaging 118.0 PPG, 45.8 RPG, 26.6 APG, while shooting 48.3% from the field. Opponents are held to 104.0 PPG. Boston has won three straight in the series, including back-to-back blowouts (Game 3: 108-100; Game 4: 128-96). They lead the East in rebounding (46.4 per game) and have been elite defensively and on the glass.
76ers (last 10 games, including playoffs): 4-6, averaging 104.1 PPG, 43.3 RPG, while shooting just 44.1% from the field. Opponents score 110.3 PPG. Philadelphia stole Game 2 on the road but has been outscored by double digits in the other three games. Even with Embiid’s return in Game 4 (26 points, 10 rebounds in 34 minutes), the Sixers were routed, showing limited lift from his presence.
Injury Report
Boston Celtics: No injuries reported. The team is at full strength and has been all series.
Philadelphia 76ers:
Andre Drummond (C) – Questionable (hip; left Game 4 with injury).
Johni Broome (PF) – Out (knee; post-meniscectomy).
Joel Embiid (C) – Available/playing (returned in Game 4 after appendectomy; status was previously doubtful but he logged heavy minutes).
Kelly Oubre Jr. (SF) – Status not newly flagged but previously questionable with adductor soreness (monitor for Game 5).
Boston’s health edge has been a major factor, allowing them to rotate fresh bodies and exploit mismatches.
Key Player Matchups
Jayson Tatum (BOS) vs. Philadelphia’s perimeter defense: Tatum has averaged 19.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 6.2 APG over the last 10 games. His playmaking and scoring will be pivotal in closing out the series at home.
Jaylen Brown (BOS) vs. Tyrese Maxey (PHI): Brown is scorching at 28.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 5.1 APG recently. Maxey leads the Sixers with 28.3 PPG, 6.6 APG, and 1.9 SPG but has been unable to carry the load alone against Boston’s length.
Payton Pritchard (BOS) vs. Sixers’ bench: Pritchard exploded for 32 points in Game 4 (including a franchise playoff-record 24 threes as a team). His hot shooting off the bench has been a game-changer.
Joel Embiid (PHI) vs. Boston’s frontcourt (including Nikola Vucevic): Embiid returned but was largely neutralized in Game 4. Boston leads the East in rebounding (46.4 RPG) and matches Philadelphia’s defensive field-goal percentage allowed (46.7%). Vucevic contributes 8.4 RPG.
Additional notes: Philadelphia ranks 9th in fast-break points (16.9 per game, led by VJ Edgecombe at 8.0), but Boston’s half-court control and transition defense have stifled that. Paul George has provided secondary scoring for the Sixers (16.8 PPG recently).
Series History
2025-26 Regular Season: Celtics hold a 5-3 edge overall (including 2-2 in some head-to-head splits earlier in the year). Boston has won 7 of the last 10 meetings dating back further.
2026 Playoffs (Current Series): Celtics lead 3-1.
Game 1: BOS 123, PHI 91
Game 2: PHI 111, BOS 97
Game 3: BOS 108, PHI 100
Game 4: BOS 128, PHI 96 (Embiid’s return game)
Boston has outrebounded and outshot Philadelphia consistently, especially at home.
Betting Trends
Philadelphia is 1-4 straight up in its last 5 games and has seen the total go Under in 9 of its last 11. Boston is 4-1 ATS in recent games and strong at home (30-11 regular-season home record). Celtics have covered in multiple blowouts this series.
Game Odds
Philadelphia Sixers 213.5
Boston Celtics – 11.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Monday, April 27, 2026
