Celtics No Longer Finals Favorites Following Game Five Loss to 76ers

Well, that was something.

While the Celtics plane returned home following a nail-biting overtime loss in Philadelphia on Sunday, it’s unclear if anybody was actually on it.

In what many would have called a “must-win” game five in Boston on Tuesday night, the Celtics lost to the 76ers 115-101 and now trail the 76ers 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

To make matters worse, Boston is no longer the favorite to win the NBA Finals according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Here are the odds:

2023 NBA Finals Odds to Win

Philadelphia 76ers                         +290

Denver Nuggets                              +290

Los Angeles Lakers                         +370

Boston Celtics                                  +420

Phoenix Suns                                  +1100

Golden State Warriors                 +1500

Miami Heat                                    +1500

New York Knicks                          +8500

The Celtics were abysmal shooting the basketball on Tuesday night. They hit just 39.8% from the floor and 31.6% from three, and couldn’t get a rhythm going offensively at all. Their 103 points were their lowest in a game this postseason.

Boston’s defense was nothing to write home about either as they allowed both Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey to go for 30+ in the game. Philly was also far more successful on the glass, corralling 49 rebounds to the Celtics’ 39.

Jayson Tatum led the way for Boston with 36 points and 10 rebounds – but went just 40% from the floor, including 3-11 from behind the arc.

Al Horford scored 0 points, was a whopping 0-7 from three, and was a team-low -18 in just 25 minutes.

Boston now has to fight for their playoff lives on Thursday night, where they open up as 1.5-point favorites in Philly according to FanDuel. The game will tip off at 7:30pm EST at the Wells Fargo Center.

Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @CelticsCLNS for the latest up-to-date Celtics news!

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