Celtics book ticket to East Finals

The Sixers big man agreed.

“How do I help my stars be stars because at the end of the day, that’s what we need”, Brown said. We know that spirits and tensions are going to run high in a series. But there was an underlying optimism about what might lie ahead for Philadelphia.

Philadelphia, which snapped a five-year playoff drought this season, was denied its first trip to the conference finals since going to the NBA Finals in the 2000-01 season.

As the “The Process” Embiid believes it’s paying off, as he said: “Looking at where we are, it paid off”.

Marcus Smart’s assessment of the team’s mindset heading into Game 5 was more blunt on Monday: “We’re pitbulls”. What works during the regular season isn’t necessarily reliable in the postseason. Here is how to watch Celtics and Sixers Game 5 live stream online in Eastern Conference semifinals of the 2018 National Basketball Association playoffs. Jaylen Brown scored 24.

Once again the Celtics continue to emerge through all the adversity of injuries and doubters.

Brown scored the first five points of the second half for the Celtics, including a second-chance three to give Boston a 10-point lead. “We weren’t very good [in Game 4]”. “We’ve got to learn from it”.

Joel Embiid attempted to post Aron Baynes, grabbed the rebound when he missed, and fell backward out of bounds.

JJ Redick hit an off-balance 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds to play to pull Philadelphia within one. He tried to miss the second on objective but made it, but then sealed the win for Boston by picking off Ben Simmons’ court-long pass. Even with players hurt, it’s clear that head coach Brad Stevens has found a way to win games.

While the young players on Boston’s rosters have been huge in Boston’s success, Brown said the veteran leadership of Horford has been just as important in helping hold things together throughout the season. Reality is infinitely more rewarding.

Philadelphia had an answer – a 9-0 run that put them up four with just over two minutes remaining. Boston was 6-for-20 in the third, with six turnovers, watching a nine-point lead wither to one.

Increasingly the league also has had to put its money on the Celtics. 10 and 26 picks in the upcoming draft plus max-ish cap space in free agency.

The Celtics too advantage of that last opportunity, and made sure the 76ers could not have another miraculous finish.

That leaves the Sixers with something to figure out this offseason. But on Wednesday, the loss to Boston – and what could have been – was foremost on their minds. I feel like I had a lot more to go, but you’ve gotta look at the positive and negatives.