NBA Playoffs: Celtics vs. 76ers Game 3 Preview – Key Matchup for Boston and Philadelphia
On Friday, April 24, 2026, the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers will face off in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast exclusively on Prime Video.
This matchup comes after the Celtics dropped Game 2 to the 76ers 111-97 on Tuesday, April 21, evening the series at 1-1. Boston had taken a commanding 1-0 lead with a dominant 123-91 victory in Game 1 on Sunday, April 19. The Celtics entered the playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed following a 56-26 regular season record, while Philadelphia secured the No. 7 seed after winning the Play-In Tournament.
The Celtics have shown resilience throughout the 2025-26 season, maintaining top-five rankings in offensive rating (No. 2), defensive rating (No. 4), and net rating (No. 4) despite Jayson Tatum missing most of the season due to an Achilles injury. Boston won 13 of its last 16 games before the playoffs began, demonstrating their ability to perform at an elite level even without their star forward.
For the 76ers, Joel Embiid’s availability remains uncertain after undergoing an appendectomy during the final week of the regular season. Philadelphia split the season series with Boston, winning both of their games in the first three weeks of the season before the Celtics found their rhythm. The 76ers will gaze to capitalize on their home-court advantage in Games 3 and 4, having won Game 2 in front of their home crowd.
This series marks the first playoff meeting between the Celtics and 76ers since 2023. Boston has won 12 consecutive playoff appearances, the longest active streak in the NBA, and has been one of the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference for five straight years. Despite losing four key rotation players from last year’s playoff team and playing without Tatum for 62 games, the Celtics have remained a top-tier team, ranking in the top five on both ends of the floor for four consecutive seasons.
As the series shifts to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4, both teams will look to gain an edge. The Celtics aim to re-establish their dominance after the Game 2 setback, while the 76ers seek to build on their road victory and potentially take a series lead for the first time. The outcome of Game 3 could significantly influence the trajectory of this best-of-seven series, with Game 4 scheduled for Sunday, April 26 at 7:00 p.m. ET as well in Philadelphia.
The winner of this series will advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals, where they would face either the Cleveland Cavaliers or New York Knicks, depending on the outcome of the other first-round matchup in the bracket.
Stay tuned to ARCHYSPORT for live updates, analysis, and coverage of the Celtics vs. 76ers playoff series as it unfolds.
