The Philadelphia 76ers are still alive in the playoffs.
Joel Embiid delivered a powerhouse performance in the second half, guiding the 76ers to a 113-97 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 5 on Tuesday night. The win keeps Philadelphia’s season going and sends the series back home with Boston holding a 3-2 lead.
The Celtics had built a commanding 63-50 advantage in the third quarter and looked poised to close out the series on their home floor at TD Garden. But Embiid exploded for 18 of his game-high 33 points after the break, sparking a furious comeback from a 13-point deficit.
Philadelphia took control in the fourth quarter, quieting the crowd as Boston’s offense stalled. The Celtics called it a night with 2:16 left, trailing 109-95, and sent Jayson Tatum to the bench.
Embiid Shines in All-NBA Mode During Second Playoff Appearance This was just Embiid’s second game of the postseason after missing the first three while recovering from an emergency appendectomy. He showed some rust in Game 4, but on Tuesday he looked like his dominant self despite going 0-for-5 from three-point range. Instead, he attacked the paint relentlessly and punished the double teams.
Embiid finished with 33 points on 12-of-23 shooting, plus 9-of-10 from the free-throw line, along with 8 assists, 4 rebounds, and 1 block. He briefly left for the locker room after a knee collision with Jaylen Brown late in the third but returned quickly to help finish the job.
76ers Flip the Script in the Fourth The 76ers trimmed the deficit to 86-85 by the end of the third. Paul George drained a three to start the fourth and give Philadelphia an 88-86 lead, and they never looked back. An explosive 28-11 edge in the final period sealed the deal.
Tyrese Maxey contributed 25 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. Paul George nearly posted a triple-double with 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Quentin Grimes added 18 points off the bench with strong three-point shooting.
Boston’s Shooting Goes Ice Cold The Celtics struggled from beyond the arc for the second time in the series, hitting just 11 of 39 threes (28 percent). Philadelphia shot 15 of 42 (36 percent) from deep and dominated overall field goal percentage at 50 percent to Boston’s 40 percent.
Tatum had 24 points and 16 rebounds in the loss, while Brown added 22 points but shot just 9 of 23. Payton Pritchard led the bench with 12 points.
Game 6 is set for Thursday night in Philadelphia.