Rd 2 Gm 5 Celtics vs PHI 76ers (Wed 5/9 - 8:15PM on TNT)

The Celtics Must Use Their Home-Court Advantage to Contain TJ McConnell in Game 5
by Andy Goffin

The Boston Celtics head into a pivotal Game 5 against the Philadelphia 76ers on their home-court after TJ McConnell’s miraculous performance in Game 4 sparked a do-or-die mentality for the 76ers

Undefeated at home in the playoffs this postseason, the Boston Celtics look to wrap up the Eastern Conference Semifinals at the TD Garden tonight. With a 3-1 series lead, the Philadelphia 76ers, winners of Game 4, hold slight momentum after a brutal domination of the Celtics this past Monday night.

In Game 4 the 76ers were led by TJ McConnell, who was placed into the starting lineup and immediately provided the uproar his team needed to pull out its first victory of the series. He finished with 19 points on the night.

Through four games, McConnell leads both teams with an impressive plus/minus of +38, quite the feat for a primarily backup point guard and unexpected leader for the 76ers.

Fortunately for the Celtics, McConnell will not have the crowd to boost his energy in Game 5. The Celtics will still have to do a much better job of containing McConnell on all ends. The most difficult part of McConnell’s game is that he essentially is a decoy in taking the attention of players like Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid due to the fact that McConnell is not one of the 76ers’ labeled stars.

When he gets the ball, Celtics’ defender anticipate him to set up the offense and pass. In Game 4, McConnell recognized that the Celtics were not respecting his offensive game, and he repeatedly drove to the hoop or pulled up for a jumper.

Now, as a multi-threat offensive presence, the Celtics’ defense will have to adjust how they treat McConnell’s game. And they will have to do it without Shane Larkin, who is out tonight after injuring his shoulder in Game 4, and the severity of the injury is unclear at the moment.

The good news for the Celtics is that if McConnell is the worst of their problems, then they are likely doing a pretty solid job in containing Simmons and Embiid. Robert Covington has also been a complete non-factor this series, besides a 22-point performance in a Game 2 loss for the 76ers. Simmons and Embiid both put up efficient numbers in Game 4, but they assumedly would credit McConnell for his energy and leadership.

The Celtics’ bigs have played effective defense on Embiid for the majority of the series which opened up more opportunities for McConnell to shine. Simmons was due to bounce back at home in Games 3 and 4 after the Celtics held him to just one point in Game 2.

McConnell’s grit and tenacity on both ends will certainly be a challenge for Boston tonight. He presses full-court all game and gets in the face of offensive powers like Jayson Tatum and Marcus Morris without even budging. His fearlessness and energy he brings to the 76ers is uncanny, but the Celtics can only hope that their home-court advantage can overcome him.

The Celtics can finish off the series if they play their pace. They must limit turnovers (fifteen in Game 4) and unforced errors. Working the ball into the paint has been the 76ers’ bread and butter, so interior defense may be a struggle tonight. However, their resilience and passion in the first three games can surely be resurrected in Game 5.

If the Celtics can benefit from a loud TD Garden crowd, then they can use their underdog edge to its fullest ability and head into the Eastern Conference Finals for a matchup against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.


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