76ers vs. Celtics: Game 5 TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info and More

If you had told Philadelphia 76ers fans in April that their team would be tied at two games apiece in the Eastern Conference semifinals, they probably wouldn't have appreciated your sense of humor.

And yet, Doug Collins' young team has accomplished just that.

They could pull a few more surprises if the Boston Celtics are unable to hold on to home-court advantage in an absolutely pivotal Game 5.

Sure, Philadelphia had some help getting to this point. Injuries to Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah undoubtedly made the first round an exponentially more surmountable challenge.

Doc Rivers' Celtics would be hard-pressed to make any excuses about their 92-83 Game 4 defeat, though. The 76ers trailed by as many as 18 points in the third quarter, and Boston looked set to finish this series off at home, earning themselves some much-needed rest in the process.

But the resilient 76ers rallied to put a damper on those plans, and what happens next in this series is anyone's guess. Conventional wisdom suggests that Boston won't make the same mistakes twice, but Philadelphia may have something to say about that.

Where: TD Bank Garden; Boston

When: Monday, May 21 at 7 p.m. ET

Watch: TNT

Live Stream: None

Listen: WEEI 850 AM (Boston) and WPEN 97.5 FM (Philadelphia)

Betting Line: Boston Celtics (-5.5), according to Top Bet

76ers' Key Injuries (according to Yahoo! Sports):

None reported.

Celtics' Key Injuries (according to ESPN's Chris Forsberg and Yahoo! Sports):

Will Play: Ray Allen (bone spurs in right ankle)

Will Play: Paul Pierce (sprained MCL)

Will Play: Avery Bradley (sore shoulder)

Out: Chris Wilcox (aortic abnormality)

Out: Jeff Green (aortic aneurysm)

What They're Saying

Make no mistake about it—Philadelphia's comeback victory in Game 4 radically changed this series' dynamics. 76ers All-Star Andre Iguodala acknowledged his club's boosted confidence going into Game 5 (via the Philadelphia Inquirer's John N. Mitchell):

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"No matter what people say as far as it's not over until it's over, being down 3-1 is a totally different mentality than being at 2-2," said Sixers guard Andre Iguodala shortly after the game. "It could swing either way, so it was pretty much a must-win for us.

"Our psyche is a little different, but we still have to remain humble," continued Iguodala, who along with Jrue Holiday led the Sixers with 16 points on Friday. "I feel like they gave us their best shot in the first half, but we crawled back in and got it. But we know we are going to keep getting their best shot. We have to keep them from getting in a good rhythm starting games."

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It may have taken more clawing than "crawling" for Philly to get back in the game (and the series along with it). While the young 76ers used intense, physical play to claim momentum, the veteran Celtics appeared to be caught off guard. Needless to say, Rivers was disappointed with his club's response, according to Sports Illustrated's Ian Thomsen:

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"When you have a chance to go up 3-1 in a series, and you're up (on the scoreboard) and you're on the road, what else are they going to do?'' said Rivers of the 76ers' aggressions. "That's what they should do. That's what was so disappointing. They are going to get into you, they're going to grab your hands, they're going to foul you. That's what they should do. And we act like we're surprised by it.''

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The Celtics are no stranger to playing aggressively, but they may finally be feeling the burn you'd expect from an older roster that's been saddled with a lot of minutes. Whether that postseason grind has exerted a toll that is physical or mental (or both), Boston desperately needs a second wind to withstand Collins' deep roster and its seemingly bottomless well of energy.

Most Important Player to Watch: Kevin Garnett

While Rajon Rondo remains the engine that keeps this team running, Kevin Garnett has become nothing short of indispensable to Boston's chances in this series and beyond; the more involved he's been in the Celtics offense, the more successful that offense has been.

Game 4, on the other hand, was a prime example of what happens when KG takes a backseat, a reality about which Rivers is well aware (via ESPN Boston's Chris Forsberg):

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"I think we counted nine times where he was trying to be a passer instead of a scorer. So we gotta get him back, mentally, to attacking," said Rivers. "They didn't trap as much as you thought. We just gotta continue to force feed him and keep him aggressive. But we also have to get into our stuff quicker, like we did in the first half. Kevin didn't touch the ball a lot, but we had an 18-point lead, so something was going well."

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Garnett made just three of his 12 field-goal attempts in Game 4 after shooting more than 63 percent and averaging 23.7 points through the series' first three games.

The Celtics can safely expect Garnett to remain a consistent contributor defensively and on the glass—the question is whether or not he can continue to serve as Boston's first or second option in its half-court offense. With Allen largely relegated to an unproductive decoy and Paul Pierce's up-and-down production coming in spite of his sprained MCL, Garnett's mid-range jumpers and post play will be vital to overcoming the feisty 76ers.

Key Matchup: Andre Iguodala vs. Paul Pierce

After struggling mightily through the first two games of the series, Pierce bounced back to score 24 points apiece in Games 3 and 4, hitting 8-of-13 field goals in Game 4 (including four three-pointers).

Pierce is averaging more than 38 minutes a game in the postseason and dealing with a sprained MCL to boot. Given those challenges and his uneven play, his apparent resurgence couldn't come at a better time for a Celtics squad coming to realize nothing about this series will come easily.

While Pierce is finally showing signs of overcoming Iguodala's solid on-ball defense, Philadelphia's All-Star is still making important contributions.

Iggy hit three treys in Game 4, including the all-important three-pointer that put the 76ers up by five points in the game's waning moments. Philly's jack-of-all-trades small forward impacts the game in a number of ways, including with his passing and rebounding. The harder he plays, the more difficult Pierce's life becomes.

Game 5 Prediction: Boston 91, Philadelphia 88