Philadelphia 76ers take 3-2 series lead after HAMMERING the Boston Celtics 115-103
Philadelphia 76ers take 3-2 series lead after HAMMING the Boston Celtics 115-103 as NBA MVP winner Joel Embiid fully shows his worth with 33 points in brilliant performance
- Jayson Tatum led the way for the Celtics in the loss with 36 points in the loss
- Tobias Harris and James Harden both recorded double-doubles in the win
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Joel Embiid scored 33 points and the Philadelphia 76ers easily took a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, defeating the Boston Celtics 115-103 on Tuesday night.
The 76ers led by a whopping 21 points in the fourth quarter as home fans chased out the Celtics, and can close out the series and advance to the conference finals when they host Game 6 on Thursday night.
It was the third straight 30-point game for Embiid, who also had seven rebounds, four blocks and three 3-pointers.
Tyrese Maxey added 30 points and six 3-pointers. James Harden finished with 17 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.
Jayson Tatum led Boston with 36 points, but was only 11 of 27 from the field. Jaylen Brown finished with 24 points. The Celtics went 12 of 38 from the 3-point line.
The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Boston Celtics 115-103 to take a 3-2 lead
NBA MVP winner Joel Embiid fully showed his worth by scoring 33 points in the win
Tobias Harris and James Harden both recorded double-doubles in the Game 5 win
The previous two times the 76ers had been in a second-round series with a 2-2 tie, they were eliminated in Game 5 — a 36-point loss to Toronto in 2019 and a 35-point loss to Miami last season.
Not this time.
The 76ers led by an astonishing 19 points in the third quarter and took an 88-72 lead in the fourth.
A quick flurry from the Celtics cut the deficit to 11, but Philadelphia responded with a 10-2 run to cut it to 102-83.
Philadelphia made a concerted effort to get the ball on the post at Embiid from the start. He was able to knock down mid-range jumpers, which helped open the floor for his teammates as Boston’s big men were pulled out of the picture.
Meanwhile, the Celtics struggled to find their shot.
Jayson Tatum led the way for the Celtics in a 36-point loss in the Game 5 loss
Tyrese Maxey showed an unexpected performance, scoring 30 points and shooting 6-12 from deep
Enjoying an early rebounding advantage, the 76ers had success with Embiid turning pick and roll sets in Al Horford.
It led to scoring opportunities for Embiid and helped Philadelphia build a 15-point lead in the first half.
Tatum missed his first six tries before hitting a runner with 5:48 left in the second quarter. He finished the first half with 15 points, but was only 3 of 11 on the field (1 of 6 from 3-point range).
Boston eventually ran 10-0 to narrow the deficit, but Philadelphia calmed down and went into halftime with a 58-49 lead.