Sixers-Celtics: Start time, schedule, how to watch and stream

If the Philadelphia 76ers hope to make it to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2001, they’ll have to upset the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics in a semifinal series that begins Monday.

At least the Sixers will be well-rested. Philly hasn’t taken the court for a game in eight days after sweeping the Brooklyn Nets, while it took the Celtics six games to defeat the Atlanta Hawks. It’s the longest NBA playoff layoff since 2019, when the Golden State Warriors got nine days ahead of the NBA finals.

“This is the longest [break between series] I’ve ever had, so [we are] just trying to keep our guys as sharp as possible, and all that is not easy,” Sixers head coach Doc Rivers told reporters Sunday.

The Sixers might have to start the series without Joel Embiid. The MVP finalist is recovering from a sprained right knee, and is officially listed as doubtful ahead of Game 1. But Sixers head coach Doc Rivers told reporters on Sunday Embiid is improving every day, and he was at practice for the first time in a week.

“He didn’t do any running or anything like that but just did some shooting,” Rivers said. “So he’s better. He’s progressing.”

Here’s everything you need to know to watch and stream the Sixers-Celtics NBA playoff series:

Game 1 of the Sixers-Celtics Eastern Conference semifinal series is scheduled to tipoff at 7:30 p.m. on TNT. Calling the game will be Kevin Harlan and Reggie Miller, with Allie LaForce reporting from the court.

TNT will also have pregame coverage hosted by their Inside the NBA crew — Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and former Sixers great Charles Barkley.

The Sixers-Celtics games will also air on the radio on 97.5 The Fanatic. Calling all the action is Tom McGinnis, in his 27th season as the Sixers’ radio voice.

Here is the full schedule for Sixers-Celtics:

* — if necessary

Games that air on TNT can be streamed on the WatchTNT app with cable authentication. ESPN games can be streamed on the ESPN app with cable authentication, or on ESPN+ with a subscription.

You can stream both ESPN and TNT on a host of skinny bundles, including YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream, and Sling. You can also stream ESPN on fubo, but not TNT or any of the Warner Bros. Discovery (formerly Turner) channels.

No. NBC Sports Philadelphia only has the broadcast rights for the first round of the NBA playoffs. That means Sixers games will air on TNT, ESPN, or ABC for the rest of their playoff run.

NBC Sports Philadelphia will still have pre- and postgame coverage, hosted by Amy Fadool and featuring analysts Jim Lynam and Marc Jackson. Sixers play-by-play announcer Kate Scott, who just finished her second season as the team’s TV voice, will travel with the team as a reporter.

Embiid missed 16 games during the regular season, four due to a mid-foot sprain. In those 16 games, the Sixers fared well, going 11-5.

The Sixers also won the only playoff game Embiid has missed during the playoffs — Game 4 against the Brooklyn Nets.

“So when he’s ready to come back and hoop, he feels like he’s ready, obviously, we’ll be waiting for him,” Harden told reporters Sunday. “Until then, we gotta go out there and try and win a basketball game. One game at a time. So that’s our mind-set as a team.”

Embiid has dealt with multiple injuries during his NBA career, which began with him missing the entire 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons after suffering a stress fracture in his right foot.

Here’s a rundown of the injuries that caused Embiid to miss the most time.

» READ MORE: Are the Sixers built to win in the playoffs without Joel Embiid? Do they have a chance against Boston?

The Celtics will certainly be a more difficult opponent for the Sixers than the Nets.

This season, the Sixers went just 1-3 against the Celtics during the regular season, winning their most recent matchup last month behind Embiid’s 52-point performance. But the Celtics were also undermanned in that game, playing without Jaylen Brown and Robert Williams III.

The Inquirer’s resident Sixers experts don’t think the team has much of a chance against the Celtics, even if Embiid’s on the court.

“Joel Embiid’s mobility is what makes him special. His knee injury diminishes his greatest advantage. It makes him Marc Gasol,” wrote columnist Marcus Hayes. “You cannot beat these Celtics with Marc Gasol.”

» READ MORE: NBA playoff predictions: Inquirer experts share their picks for Sixers-Celtics

If the Sixers overcome the odds and upset the Celtics, they’ll move on to the Eastern Conference finals, where they’ll face the winner of the Miami Heat-New York Knicks semifinal series.

The Heat are up 1-0 after defeating the Knicks at Madison Square Garden Sunday behind 25 points from former Sixer Jimmy Butler, who was limping after the game due to a fourth-quarter ankle sprain.

The Heat eliminated the Sixers from the playoffs last year during the Eastern Conference semifinals. After the win, Butler returned to the locker room proclaiming, “Tobias Harris over me?”

During the regular season, the Sixers went 1-2 against the Heat and 2-2 against the Knicks.