76ers vs. Celtics: Possible Tip-Off Times for Game 7

When will the 76ers and the Celtics tip-off on Sunday?

The Philadelphia 76ers couldn’t complete the job on Thursday night. Although they had an opportunity to close out the Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Boston Celtics, the Sixers dropped the ball.

The Celtics weren’t fazed by the hostile environment at the Wells Fargo Center at the start of Game 6. As they got off to a red-hot shooting start from beyond the arc, knocking down nearly 50 percent of their shots from deep, the Celtics outscored the Sixers 50-43 in the first half of action.

Philadelphia trailed as many as 16 points in the first half and couldn’t take a lead at any point. Boston couldn’t make it out of South Philly with a blowout victory, though.

In the third quarter, the Sixers struck back and managed to chip away at Boston’s lead before eventually getting out in front. As the Sixers shot 53 percent from the field and held the Celtics to under 38 percent shooting from the field, Philadelphia outscored Boston 30-21 in the third quarter.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the Sixers possessed a two-point lead. From that point on, the Sixers’ hot start to the second half completely cooled down. Draining just five shots in the final 12 minutes, the Sixers found themselves outscored 24-13 in the fourth quarter.

As a result, the Celtics picked up their second victory in South Philly this postseason by winning 95-86. With that victory, Boston tied the series up 3-3 and forced a Game 7 at TD Garden, which will take place on Sunday.

What Time Will Game 7 Tip-Off?

The start of Sunday’s Game 7 depends on the results of the Game 6 Western Conference matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors, which takes place on Friday night.

If the Lakers manage to close out the series in Game 6, then the Sixers and the Celtics will battle it out at 3:30 PM ET., with the game getting broadcasted on ABC.

In the event the Lakers lose and Golden State forces a Game 7, the Sixers will be the later matchup on a two-game slate on Sunday. In that case, Philadelphia and Boston would tip off at 8:00 PM ET., and the game would be broadcasted on TNT.


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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA