Embiid's 33 points power 76ers past Celtics, forcing Game 6

Key facts

• Philadelphia 76ers defeated Boston Celtics 113-97 in Game 5 at TD Garden.
• Joel Embiid scored 33 points for the 76ers, his second game back from an appendectomy.
• Boston led 63-50 with 10 minutes left in the third quarter before being outscored 63-34.
• Celtics shot 11-of-39 (28.2%) from three-point range.
• Jayson Tatum scored 24 points, Jaylen Brown added 22 for Boston.
• Series is now 3-2 in favor of the Celtics, with Game 6 in Philadelphia on Thursday.
• Rookie VJ Edgecombe scored 30 points for the 76ers in Game 2, a point Brown had noted.

A comeback born from complacency

The Boston Celtics were coasting. With a 13-point lead midway through the third quarter, TD Garden was buzzing, and a series-clinching victory seemed imminent. Then the Philadelphia 76ers happened. Over the next 18 minutes, the 76ers outscored the Celtics 63-34, turning a comfortable cushion into a 113-97 defeat that sends the first-round series back to Philadelphia for Game 6. For Boston, the collapse was as sudden as it was familiar. The Celtics, who had controlled the game through the first half, appeared to ease off the gas. Derrick White's free throw with 10 minutes left in the third quarter gave Boston a 63-50 lead, but from that point, Philadelphia seized control. The 76ers' run was not just a scoring spurt; it was a systematic dismantling of Boston's defense, fueled by Joel Embiid's return to form.

Embiid's return from appendectomy proves decisive

Joel Embiid missed two weeks due to a health crisis that ended with an appendectomy. His return in Game 4 was inconsistent, but in Game 5, he looked like his old self. Embiid scored 33 points, putting constant pressure on the Celtics' defense. "Give him credit, he played well," said Jayson Tatum, who scored 24 points. "He put a lot of pressure on us, especially on the defensive end. We'll go back and watch the film and make some adjustments and be ready for Game 6." Jaylen Brown, who added 22 points, was more pointed. "I feel like he got too many easy baskets," Brown said. "We need to make him work. It's just too easy for him, even though we want to trust our guys to guard certain aspects, we have to make it a little tougher." Brown had voiced similar concerns after Game 2, when rookie VJ Edgecombe scored 30 points in a 111-97 76ers victory. "He's a ballplayer. He's a rookie, but he can play," Brown said then, adding, "I thought Edgecombe was just too comfortable."

Three-point shooting haunts Boston again

The Celtics' reliance on the three-point shot has long been a subject of playoff scrutiny, and Game 5 provided fresh ammunition. Boston connected on just 11 of 39 attempts from beyond the arc, a 28.2% clip that proved fatal. Coach Joe Mazzulla, however, deflected blame from the long ball. "We missed layups too. I don't think it was necessarily from the 3's," he said calmly after the game. "We just have to be able to bounce back from that. I think when you have empty possession, empty possession, and at the other end you're not getting stops, it's frustrating." Yet the numbers tell a stark story. The Celtics' offense, which had been efficient in the first half, grew stagnant as the 76ers' defense tightened. The frustration Mazzulla acknowledged was visible on the court: Boston turned lethargic in the third quarter and disorganized in the final minutes, unable to stem Philadelphia's momentum.

A topsy-turvy postseason landscape

The Celtics' stumble is part of a broader pattern in the 2026 NBA playoffs, where higher seeds have found little comfort. The top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder swept the eighth-seeded Phoenix Suns, but elsewhere, upsets have been the norm. In the East, the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic hold a 3-1 lead over the top-seeded Detroit Pistons. The No. 3 New York Knicks defeated the No. 6 Atlanta Hawks 126-97 in Game 5 to tie their series 2-2, keeping alive the possibility of a second-round rematch with the Celtics. Out West, the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves lead the No. 3 Denver Nuggets 3-2. For the 76ers, this chaotic tournament offers an opportunity. With Embiid back in form, Philadelphia has shown it can compete with Boston. The series now shifts to Philadelphia for Game 6, where the 76ers will aim to force a decisive Game 7.

Game 6: a test of resilience for both teams

The Celtics now face a familiar question: can they recover from a blown lead and close out the series on the road? Boston's history of playoff collapses adds weight to the narrative, but the team insists it will adjust. "We'll go back and watch the film and make some adjustments and be ready for Game 6," Tatum said. Brown echoed the sentiment, though his words carried an edge of frustration. For Philadelphia, the task is simpler: protect home court and extend the series. The 76ers have already won two games in this series on the strength of players who found comfort scoring against Boston. Embiid's presence changes the dynamic, and the Celtics must find a way to make him work for his points. As Brown put it, "We have to make it a little tougher." Game 6 on Thursday will reveal whether Boston can learn that lesson in time.

The bottom line

• Joel Embiid's 33 points in Game 5, his second game back from an appendectomy, were pivotal in the 76ers' 113-97 win.
• Boston's 13-point third-quarter lead evaporated as Philadelphia went on a 63-34 run, exposing the Celtics' defensive lapses.
• The Celtics shot 11-of-39 from three-point range, continuing a pattern of playoff struggles from beyond the arc.
• Jaylen Brown's pre- and post-game comments highlight a recurring issue: Boston's inability to make key opposing players uncomfortable.
• The series now heads to Philadelphia for Game 6, with the Celtics leading 3-2 but facing questions about their resilience.
• The 2026 playoffs have been marked by upsets, with lower seeds like the Magic and Timberwolves challenging higher seeds, adding context to the Celtics' stumble.