The NBA MVP put up another MVP performance at TD Garden on Tuesday night. Joel Embiid scored 33 points and Tyrese Maxey added 30 as the Philadelphia 76ers took a 3-2 series lead over the Boston Celtics with a 115-103 victory in game five of an Eastern Conference Semifinal Playoff matchup.
It was an ugly game for Boston, who was trying to gain the momentum back after a tough one point overtime loss in game four on Sunday afternoon. The Celtics shot just 37% in the first half, and Jayson Tatum after missing his first eight shots in the first quarter in game four would miss his first six in the opening 12 minutes. Philadelphia built the lead to as many as 15 points in the second quarter led by a dominant paint performance by Embiid who had 21 points and five rebounds in the opening half. Tatum got going before the break, scoring 11 of the final 12 Boston points and pulling the hosts within striking distance at 58-49 at the intermission.
The shooting for Boston didn’t get much better in the third quarter, and Philadelphia would increase their advantage to the biggest of the night to that point at 19 points. Tatum continued to turn it on as he scored 15 in the period including a last second three-pointer, but the 76ers were comfortably in control heading to the fourth at 88-72. Tatum would pull the Celtics within 92-81 with 9:44 left on a three-point play, but the 76ers had the answer as they did all night as Maxey knocked in a three-pointer just 20 seconds later to push their lead back to 14. The guests grew the lead to as many as 21, and Boston only got as close as 12 the rest of the way. Philadelphia with the 3-2 series edge now heads back home to Wells Fargo Center where they’ll try to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001.
Embiid added seven rebounds, three assists, and four blocked shots to his point total. Maxey also had seven rebounds and three assists and hit 6-12 from the three-point arc. James Harden chipped in 17 points, eight rebounds, 10 assists, and two steals. Tobias Harris (16 points) and Danuel House Jr. (10) also contributed to the 76ers victory. Tatum ended up with a game high 36 points to go along with 10 rebounds, five assists, and two steals in the loss. Jaylen Brown had 24 points and Marcus Smart had 14. Al Horford, who has been a key contributer with some big shots during this playoff run, shot 0-7 (all three-point attempts) and didn’t score. Boston ended up shooting 40% from the field. Game six in Philadelphia is set for a 7:30 tip on Thursday night. In the history of the NBA Playoffs, the team that wins a game five when the series is tied 2-2 wins the series 82% of the time (187-41).
Story by Chris Lessner/Video highlights courtesy of the NBA website
