Joel Embiid scored 33 points and the Philadelphia 76ers easily took a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals, beating the Boston Celtics 115-103 on Tuesday night.
The 76ers led by as much as 21 points in the fourth quarter as home fans booed the Celtics, and they 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 in the series 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.
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Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics defends Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the first quarter of game five of the Eastern Conference second round playoffs at TD Garden on May 9, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts . (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Jayson Tatum led Boston with 36 points, but was only 11 of 27 from the field. Jaylen Brown finished with 24 points. The Celtics were 12 of 38 from 3-point range.
The previous two times the 76ers have been in a second-round series that was tied 2-2, they’ve been beaten 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 as many as 19 points in the third quarter and took an 88-72 lead into the fourth.
A quick burst by the Celtics cut the deficit to 11, but Philadelphia responded with a 10-2 run to climb back to 102-83.
Philadelphia made a concerted effort to get the ball to Embiid in the post early on. He was able to knock down midrange jumpers, which helped open up the floor for his teammates when Boston’s big men were torn out of the paint.
Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers talks with James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the game against the Boston Celtics during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on May 9, 2023 at the TD Garden in Boston. Massachusetts. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Meanwhile, the Celtics struggled to find their shot throughout.
The 76ers enjoyed an early rebounding advantage and found success with Embiid running pick-and-roll games on Al Horford. It led to scoring chances for Embiid and helped Philadelphia build a 15-point lead in the first half.
Tatum missed his first six downs before hitting a runner with 5:48 remaining in the second quarter. He finished the first half with 15 points but was only 3-for-11 from the field (1-for-6 from 3-point range).
Boston finally cobbled together a 10-0 run to cut the deficit, but Philadelphia calmed down and went into halftime leading 58-49.
James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers high-fives Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the game against the Boston Celtics during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on May 9, 2023 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
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76ers: Embiid had 21 points in the first half, going 9-for-9 from the free throw line.
Celtics: His 103 points were the fewest this postseason. … Boston shot 5-of-19 from beyond the arc in the first 24 minutes.