The Boston Celtics are making a change to their starting lineup ahead of Game 6, with the Philadelphia 76ers holding a 3-2 lead and having the chance to close out the series on Thursday night.

Per Shams Charania and Jared Weiss of The Athletic, Boston will be starting center Robert Williams III in place of point guard Derrick White.

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Al Horford will remain in the starting lineup.

Last season, Williams was instrumental for the Celtics during their run to the 2022 NBA Finals, averaging 7.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per contest while starting in 15 of 17 games. This will be his first start of this 2023 NBA Playoffs, in which fifth-year pro is averaging fewer blocks per game (1.4) but shooting an eye-popping 88.6 percent from the field.

The hope is that the combination of Williams and Horford will give them a better chance to contend with the Sixers on the glass, with all five of Philadelphia's starters averaging at least 5.0 rebounds per game. That said, while Williams will almost certainly get his opportunities to battle Sixers big man Joel Embiid in the paint, his shot-blocking prowess could matter even more on the possessions that Horford is guarding Embiid straight-up.

With the duo of Horford and Williams thriving for the Celtics last season, Boston could come out strong in Game 6. Not that they have much of a choice, as the next few hours for the Celtics will be the most important for their season, up to this point.

If Boston does progress past Game 6, Game 7 is set for May 14.