Celtics playoff schedule update will take some of the sting off of Game 2 loss

Tuesday’s Game 2 Boston Celtics loss may have sparked anxiety-fueled thought spirals for fans all over the world. Though there are many scary what-ifs bouncing around the brains of those people, only one thing is guaranteed -- there will be a Game 5 in this series.

We now know when that will be. The NBA announced on Wednesday that the two teams will meet again for a 7 p.m. EDT tip-off at TD Garden next Tuesday for what could be a pivotal matchup.

For those still struggling to navigate the many different streaming services required to tune into the postseason, there’s no need to worry. ESPN holds the broadcasting rights to Game 5.

Celtics fans remain lucky with reasonably scheduled start times

Frankly, this is great news. With the way that the league has staggered playoff starts this spring, Game 5 could’ve easily been slated as an 8 p.m. tip instead. Getting the earliest possible weekday start time isn’t something fans should take for granted.

Just take what Minnesota Timberwolves fans have had to put up with as an example. Minnesota, a team whose home games are played in the Central Time Zone, had to wait until 9:30 p.m. for Monday’s Game 2 tip-off in Denver.

Thus far, the Celtics and Sixers have actually been blessed with the start times of this series. Game 1 was at 1 p.m., and now Games 2 through 5 will be at 7 p.m.

Those early starts don’t come without some streaming tax, though. Here’s where fans can find each of the upcoming playoff games.

Game 3 will be exclusive to Amazon Prime. Game 4 will feature on NBC’s Sunday Night Basketball, and Game 5, again, is on ESPN.

Each scheduled game to this point has actually technically been on a different channel or streaming service, with the opener on ABC (an ESPN broadcast) and then Game 2 on Peacock (an NBC broadcast).

Celtics fans will all be loading up Prime on Friday with hopes of seeing their team regain control of the series -- a semi-familiar spot. Since Joe Mazzulla took over as head coach in 2023, the Celtics have gone 5-4 in Game 2s.

They’ve won all but one of the following Game 3s, with the lone loss coming in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, when they fell down 0-3 to the Miami Heat. Here’s to hoping Sunday’s NBC broadcast gives them an opportunity to take a commanding 3-1 lead over the Sixers.

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