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Losing home-court advantage before hitting the road against the Philadelphia 76ers prompted a sense of urgency for the Boston Celtics. To them, Game 3 might as well have been a win-or-go-home contest.
There were no thoughts of returning to Boston with another split. No feeling of settling. The locker room had made up its mind well before the Celtics took the floor at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
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“This was like a Game 7 for us,” Jaylen Brown told reporters after Boston’s 108-100 Game 3 win on Friday night, per CLNS Media. “Even though it’s a long series, we wanted to come back and respond after dropping one in our home floor. We can’t lose two games in a row in the playoffs. That’s tough. So this was a big win for us.”
Boston faced a far-too-familiar postseason scenario — this time against a Joel Embiid-less Sixers team, with the seven-time All-Star recovering from emergency appendectomy surgery. During their championship run in 2024, the Celtics dropped Game 2 in both the first and second rounds against the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers, forcing mid-series responses.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – APRIL 24: The Boston Celtics bench reacts against the Philadelphia 76ers during game three of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 24, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Celtics defeated the 76ers 108-100. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Going from sarcastic “We want Boston” chants echoing across TD Garden in Game 1 to early exits and silence in Game 2, the Celtics found themselves in a spot they had seen before. So before heading out to face Philadelphia’s notoriously hostile environment, the team had a conversation.
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Understanding that not everyone on the roster had lived through a Game 3 road test of this magnitude, Brown felt it was important to communicate with everyone.
“It’s something you definitely talk about, but…
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Publish date : 2026-04-25 14:21:00
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