Quentin Grimes Sparks 76ers to Game 5 Win, Keeping Season Alive Against Celtics

Key facts

• Quentin Grimes scored 18 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including four three-pointers, in Game 5.
• Grimes' defensive sequence on Jaylen Brown forced a missed midrange jumper at the end of the shot clock.
• The Celtics' bench had outscored the Sixers' bench 149-86 in the first four games of the series.
• Grimes had totaled 15 points across Games 1 through 3 due to low shot volume.
• Joel Embiid returned from an appendectomy, providing spacing that freed Grimes for open shots.
• Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday at Xfinity Mobile Arena, with the Sixers facing elimination.
• Paolo Banchero scored 38 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and had 6 assists in a 116-94 loss to the Pistons.

Grimes Delivers Breakout Performance in Must-Win Game 5

Quentin Grimes put his body on Jaylen Brown as he lost his grip on the basketball in the backcourt. Then Grimes kept pressuring the Boston Celtics’ superstar guard, who labored his way up the floor before taking an off-balance midrange jumper at the end of the shot clock. The sequence was symbolic of the tenacity it took for the 76ers to pull ahead to victory in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series, keeping their season alive. Grimes’ breakout performance was a notable late-series development for a Sixers team that had been overwhelmed by Boston’s bench in their first four playoff matchups. Entering Game 5 on Tuesday, the Celtics’ bench had outscored the Sixers, 149-86, with a plus/minus difference of plus-30 vs. minus-25. Coach Nick Nurse had been asked after Sunday’s lopsided Game 4 loss if it was time to consider introducing a new rotation player with X factor potential. Turns out the jolt came from a second-unit mainstay in Grimes, while reserve teammates around him have shuffled throughout the series. Grimes had accumulated 15 total points across Games 1 through 3, primarily because of low shot volume rather than inefficiency. When asked after the series opener about not attempting a shot until the fourth quarter, the 25-year-old combo guard matter-of-factly said, “It be like that sometimes.”

Nurse's Encouragement and Embiid's Return Unlock Grimes' Scoring

Nurse echoed that scoring opportunities had not often presented themselves to Grimes earlier in the series. Still, the coach encouraged the Sixers to push the ball ahead to Grimes, and Grimes to “vault up and shoot.” “I just kept telling him to be aggressive,” Nurse added. “ … We need your shooting, man. You’ve got to shoot.” Grimes scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor in Game 4. Though a forgettable on-the-surface stat line in a Sixers dud, it also was perhaps some foreshadowing that Grimes could be a beneficiary of Joel Embiid’s return from an appendectomy. Nailing a three-pointer through contact — and the free throw to complete the four-point play — on Grimes’ first attempt midway through Tuesday’s first quarter provided a confidence boost noticeable to Nurse and teammates. All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey began calling plays for Grimes, and Embiid used his presence to free him up from beyond the arc. Grimes hit two more deep shots during a critical third-quarter stint, helping the Sixers close the gap before dominating the fourth quarter. “He just helps with the spacing,” Embiid said of Grimes. “Now [the defense has] got to make a decision, whether it’s double me, which they’re probably still going to do. We just trust him to knock down those wide-open shots, and he did that.”

Defensive Tenacity and a Reputation Built on Grit

Nurse also believes that shot-making bolstered Grimes on the opposite end of the floor, where stout perimeter defense is required against scoring wings Brown and Jayson Tatum, plus dangerous outside shooters such as Payton Pritchard. Grimes has built a reputation as a ferocious defender, dating back to his college days under Kelvin Sampson at Houston and while beginning his NBA career under Tom Thibodeau with the New York Knicks. His mentality while sticking with Brown up the length of the court: “I didn’t want to go home. I didn’t want it to be the last game.” That mindset was evident in the backcourt sequence that forced Brown into a difficult shot, epitomizing the desperation required to extend the series.

Series Context and the Road Ahead

The Sixers now face a familiar predicament: avoid elimination in Game 6 on Thursday at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The Celtics hold a 3-2 series lead, and Philadelphia must win two straight to advance. The bench scoring disparity that defined the first four games has been narrowed by Grimes' emergence, but Boston's depth remains a threat. Meanwhile, in another playoff matchup, Paolo Banchero put up 38 points, nine rebounds and six assists as the Orlando Magic lost 116-94 to the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. The Magic and Pistons meet again in Game 8.

What's at Stake for Philadelphia

For the Sixers, the margin for error is zero. Grimes' performance has given Nurse a viable three-guard lineup that could be pivotal in Game 6. The team's ability to replicate the defensive intensity and offensive spacing from Game 5 will determine whether they force a decisive Game 7. Embiid's health and Grimes' continued aggression are central to that equation. “Obviously, he gave us a great lift on both ends,” Nurse said of Grimes. “ … I’m glad he kind of looked more like himself.” If Grimes can sustain that level, the Sixers may yet rewrite the narrative of a series that once seemed decided.

The bottom line

• Quentin Grimes scored 18 points and played tenacious defense on Jaylen Brown, sparking the 76ers to a Game 5 win.
• The Celtics' bench had outscored the Sixers' bench 149-86 in the first four games before Grimes' breakout.
• Grimes' confidence was boosted by a four-point play early in Game 5, and he benefited from Joel Embiid's return.
• Coach Nick Nurse encouraged Grimes to be aggressive and shoot more, addressing low shot volume from earlier games.
• The Sixers face elimination in Game 6 on Thursday at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
• Paolo Banchero scored 38 points in a losing effort for the Magic against the Pistons.