Embiid’s 33 points keep 76ers alive as Philadelphia avoids elimination in Game 5

Key facts

• Joel Embiid scored 33 points, including 13 in the second quarter, after a 1-of-6 start.
• Tyrese Maxey added 25 points and 10 rebounds for the 76ers.
• Philadelphia trailed 3-1 in the series before winning Game 5 on April 28, 2026.
• Jayson Tatum had 24 points and 16 rebounds for Boston; Jaylen Brown scored 22.
• The Sixers used a 12-0 fourth-quarter run to turn a three-point lead into a 15-point margin.
• Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday night in Philadelphia; a potential Game 7 would be Saturday in Boston.

Embiid’s second-half dominance fuels Philadelphia’s survival

Joel Embiid scored 33 points, and the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Boston Celtics 113-97 in Game 5 on Tuesday night, staving off elimination in their first-round playoff series. The victory, played before a raucous crowd in Boston, cut the Celtics’ series lead to 3-2 and sent the series back to Philadelphia for Game 6 on Thursday. Embiid, playing his second game after an emergency appendectomy sidelined him for the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs, struggled early, scoring just two points on 1-of-6 shooting in the first quarter. He erupted thereafter, tallying 13 points in the second quarter, 10 in the third and eight in the fourth, when the Sixers pulled away.

Maxey and George provide crucial support

Tyrese Maxey contributed 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Paul George added 16 points and nine rebounds for the seventh-seeded Sixers. Maxey praised Embiid’s performance afterward. “He was dominant. Especially the second half, he was extremely dominant,” Maxey said. “He did a really good job of just inserting himself. I was proud of him tonight, man. That’s the dominance that you go into a playoff game with: He did that.” Philadelphia had lost Games 3 and 4 at home to fall behind 3-1, but rebounded in Boston to keep their season alive. The Sixers’ resilience was evident in the fourth quarter, when they unleashed a 12-0 run that transformed a three-point lead into a 15-point rout.

Celtics’ Tatum and Brown lead but Boston fails to close out

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 24 points and 16 rebounds, and Jaylen Brown scored 22 points. Neemias Queta added eight points and 14 boards. Brown acknowledged that Boston failed to make Embiid work for his points. “I feel like he had too many easy baskets,” Brown said. “We’ve got to make him work.... Tonight he got a bunch of easy baskets, and I feel like that propelled him.” The Celtics, who won the first two games in Boston before splitting in Philadelphia, now face a second chance to eliminate the Sixers on the road. A Game 7, if necessary, would be back in Boston on Saturday.

Philadelphia’s history of Game 7 heartbreak looms

The Sixers’ victory extended the series to at least six games, but the franchise’s recent history in winner-take-all contests casts a long shadow. Philadelphia sports teams have lost seven consecutive Game 7s, a streak dating to 2011. The Sixers themselves have lost four Game 7s in that span, including two to the Celtics in Boston: in 2012, when they fell 85-75 in the second round, and in 2023, when they were blown out 112-88 in the Eastern Conference semifinals. In 2023, Joel Embiid shot just 5-for-18 and finished with a minus-28 rating in that defeat, a performance that became emblematic of the team’s playoff frustrations. The 2023 loss also ended Doc Rivers’ tenure as head coach. The Sixers have not won a playoff series against the Celtics since 1982, losing seven series since then.

Embiid’s health and the series’ shifting momentum

Embiid’s recovery from appendectomy has been a central storyline. After scoring two points in the first quarter of Game 5, he finished with 33, demonstrating increasing comfort and conditioning. The Sixers have won all three of their games in the series by double digits, including two in Boston. Meanwhile, Celtics star Jayson Tatum left Game 6 with a calf injury, though he is expected to play in a potential Game 7, possibly at less than full strength. Philadelphia’s supporting cast has also stepped up. Paul George has found his rhythm, Tyrese Maxey has elevated his play, and rookie VJ Edgecombe has shown confidence. Role players such as Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre and Andre Drummond have contributed key moments. Embiid himself produced a near triple-double in Game 6.

What a series win would mean for the Sixers and the East

A victory in Game 6 or 7 would not only end Philadelphia’s 15-year Game 7 drought but also open a path to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001. The Eastern Conference bracket would become significantly more navigable without Boston, the top seed. However, the Sixers’ history of playoff disappointment — a mix of competitive losses and embarrassing blowouts — has conditioned fans to expect pain. For now, the Sixers have forced a Game 6 on their home floor. The series, which many expected Boston to close in four or five games, has become a test of Philadelphia’s resolve. As one observer noted, a win on Saturday would be “emotionally refreshing” for a fanbase that has endured a decade of near-misses with Embiid at the helm.

The bottom line

• Joel Embiid’s 33-point performance, less than three weeks after an appendectomy, kept the 76ers alive in the series.
• Philadelphia has won all three games in the series by double digits, including two in Boston.
• The Sixers face a historic Game 7 losing streak: seven consecutive losses across Philadelphia sports since 2011.
• Boston’s Jayson Tatum is expected to play in a potential Game 7 despite a calf injury.
• A series win would give the Sixers their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2001.
• The Celtics have eliminated the Sixers in seven playoff series since Philadelphia last beat them in 1982.