Celtics have a chance to achieve franchise first in Game 6 vs. 76ers

The Boston Celtics were probably kicking themselves. They had a golden opportunity on their home floor: a chance to close out this first-round rivalry clash in five games. Given the back-and-forth nature of every other series in the Eastern Conference, that was a potential gift that would have afforded them some valuable time off. It's a luxury that can make the difference in how far a team goes in the postseason.

Instead, they fell, 113-97, on the TD Garden parquet. It was a rough showing by the hosts. They missed 28 of the threes they launched. They only converted on 40 percent of their field goal attempts. At the other end of the floor, with the pace working in Joel Embiid's favor, they couldn't slow down the 76ers' star center. The former NBA MVP generated 33 points and eight assists, both game-highs.

However, the Celtics had to turn the page quickly. Game 6 in Philadelphia was just two days later.

"Take a deep breath, relax, and get ready to go," said Jaylen Brown after Tuesday's tilt. "And just have the right mentality, and come out and execute your job. No need to put any extra pressure on ourselves. It's already enough of that as it is. So, just come out and play basketball, and play the right way. I think that's what our mindset is, and that's what we [have] got to do going forward. Tonight wasn't the best example of what we want to do, Celtics basketball. We didn't shoot the ball well, maybe some frustration was there, etc. So, now, gotta move forward."

Now, the Celtics can make franchise history

According to Sean Grande, the Celtics' play-by-play broadcaster for 98.5 The Sports Hub, they have never ended a series in the "City of Brotherly Love."

It's a stunning stat. Yet, not once in the 10 rivalry clashes between these two storied franchises has a series ended with the visitors celebrating on Philadelphia's home floor. That's despite Boston prevailing in seven of those slugfests.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have already etched their name into the organization's record books. They have raised a championship banner to the rafters at TD Garden. Now, they have an opportunity in front of them to pull off a franchise first.

What's the team's mentality as they prepare for their chance to wrap up this series in six? As Derrick White shared after Thursday's shootaround, it's a challenge this group eagerly awaits.

“We’ve got an opportunity here tonight to end the series, and so we know it’s gonna be a fun atmosphere, and it’s gonna be a challenge, and I think we’ve got a lot of guys that look forward to that."

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