NBA Playoffs 2018: Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers Game 3 live stream: Watch online
By Jason Patt
The Boston Celtics will be seeking their first road win of the playoffs and a 3-0 series lead over the Philadelphia 76ers when the teams meet on Saturday.
The Boston Celtics have been a juggernaut at home this postseason, moving to 6-0 at TD Garden thanks to their thrilling 108-103 Game 2 victory that put them up 2-0 over the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Celtics haven’t yet won on the road, though, and they’ll try to change those fortunes in Game 3 on Saturday.
Boston earned its 2-0 lead with another improbable victory in a season full of them. A 22-point Sixers lead was no match for the Celtics, and they made the big plays down the stretch to secure the win.
Rookie Jayson Tatum led the way with 21 points, marking his fourth straight game with 20 or more points. Terry Rozier bounced back from an ugly start to dominate crunch time and finish with 20 points. Rozier has really struggled on the road in these playoffs (27.8 percent shooting), so Boston will need him to turn that around in Philadelphia.
Jaylen Brown returned from his hamstring injury in Game 2 to make an impact in his 25 minutes. While Brown was noticeably hurting at times, he also threw down three big dunks and offered a boost of energy off the bench. He’ll likely play in Game 3, though he did say he defied doctors by playing in Game 2.
If the Sixers are going to turn this series around, they need better games from their two stars. Ben Simmons was a complete no-show in Game 2 as Al Horford and the Celtics’ elite defense completely shut him down. Simmons also shut himself down by taking only four shots and turning the ball over five times, with his offensive struggles also leading to defensive lapses. Expect a better effort from the rookie in front of his home crowd.
Joel Embiid will also need to be better than he was in Game 2. Embiid’s stat line of 20 points, 14 rebounds and five assists looks good, but he shot just 8-of-22 and got into trouble with silly fouls. That foul trouble led to tentativeness on defense that Boston took advantage of offensively.
Date: Saturday, May 5
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Venue: Wells Fargo Center
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: Watch live on FuboTV. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial. Qualified subscribers can also watch on WatchESPN.
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The Celtics are in control of this series, but don’t count out the Sixers just yet. Philly is still extremely talented and Boston hasn’t been good on the road, so a Sixers win in Game 3 shouldn’t surprise anybody.