Joel Embiid goes in for two of his game-high 33 factors within the 76ers’ pivotal Sport 5 victory.
Now it will get attention-grabbing. Now it will get a sixth recreation, in Philadelphia.
And now it seems Joel Embiid will keep upright in spite of everything.
These are intriguing instances for the 76ers and a most curious time for the Boston Celtics, who couldn’t shut out this first-round playoff sequence at dwelling Tuesday, and subsequently invited suspense and who is aware of what else to creep right into a best-of-seven that’s not so easy.
The Sixers used Embiid and a dominant if not determined fourth quarter to maintain their season alive and maintain the Celtics from advancing. That’s as a result of the Celtics had been good for simply 11 factors within the quarter. This is likely to be a sequence, in spite of everything.
And it simply demonstrates as soon as once more that within the NBA playoffs, nothing is ever for sure and situations can change straight away.
So that is the place the Sixers and Celtics are at:
If the Sixers win Sport 6 and Embiid stays wholesome, this historic rivalry between these franchises will demand one other Sport Seven and chapter to be written.
If the Celtics win and get rid of Philly, then they’ll regain the shine that they had after they assumed a 3-1 lead and a rosy post-season outlook.
Everybody will discover out in a couple of days.
Within the meantime, listed below are takeaways from the Sixers’ 13-point comeback Sport 5 win:
1. Embiid falls, rises, conquers
There was a hauntingly hushed second on the Sixers’ bench late within the third quarter when Embiid landed awkwardly on his left leg and immediately and maybe reflexively reached for his knee and limped away. The place have we seen this earlier than?
Fortunate for Embiid and the Sixers, the angst was momentary. Following a couple of minutes within the locker room for examination, he checked again in and adjusted the sport.
Look: Embiid’s well being might decide this sequence. He’s that good … and that brittle. This was simply his second recreation again from an appendix damage, for which he underwent surgical procedure 19 days earlier, which sidelined him for a couple of weeks. He totally thrashed any protection and defender the Celtics threw his means. Boston isn’t providing up Al Horford anymore.
And whereas Neemias Queta is actually among the many most improved gamers within the league this 12 months — and did seize 14 rebounds on this recreation — the Embiid Project is on one other stage of issue for him and Luka Garza and Nikola Vucevic.
The opposite dangerous information for the Celtics is Embiid isn’t parking himself past the 3-point arc anymore. He’s doing work down low. He’s drawing fouls, attending to the road or dropping layups or 10-foot fadeaways.
That means, he’s taking part in to his strengths and exposing the Celtics’ weak point.
“He put lots of stress on us,” stated Jayson Tatum.
All instructed, his 33 factors whereas lasting 39 minutes represented one among his higher playoff efforts. He’s scary when wholesome. And this was an instance why his need shouldn’t be questioned, solely his physique, which betrays him far an excessive amount of and gave him one other scare Tuesday.
The place would this sequence be if Embiid had been wholesome from the beginning?
2. Celtics lose killer intuition late
They had been up 13 factors within the second half and seemingly in management after which took their foot off the fuel. Or perhaps the Sixers forcibly eliminated such foot. Or a mix of the 2. Anyway, the Celtics turned to vapor within the fourth quarter and the Sixers had been solely too blissful to take benefit.
Like, Boston was 3-for-22 taking pictures vapor.
There was little to nothing from Tatum and Jaylen Brown. They every had two factors within the quarter. In the meantime, the supporting solid, which defers to the 2 stars, appeared uncomfortable when requested to do greater than regular.
And Boston was getting beat to free balls and rebounds. The Celtics had simply as many turnovers as baskets, and Tatum missed two of their 4 missed free throws in seven makes an attempt. They virtually went 5 minutes earlier than scoring within the quarter.
“Whenever you’re not scoring the way in which you wish to, it places lots of stress in your protection,” Tatum stated.
The collapse really started late within the third quarter and escalated from there. The Celtics allowed 35 factors within the third, and a recreation was abruptly tightened. And the Celtics completed the night time by lacking 16 straight pictures.
“Bought some attractiveness,” stated coach Joe Mazzulla. “We weren’t capable of capitalize.”
3. Maxey too powerful as soon as once more
He’s all over the place, snatching free balls, hovering over taller gamers to seize contested rebounds, dropping jumpers and naturally altering gears whereas going downhill to the rim and ending sturdy.
He has been very good this sequence and probably the most constant supply of manufacturing for the Sixers. His worth, delight, picture and influence are all rising by the sport. If there was any doubt beforehand, let it’s erased by the receipts — Maxey is constructed for the stage.
He had 25 factors, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, two steals and simply two turnovers in 43 minutes. The Celtics had been justifiably involved with Embiid however Maxey created almost as many issues in Sport 5.
4. Derrick White’s finest is required, and fast
He’s not the primary motive this sequence is continuous, however a somewhat curious one. The Celtics are getting little from a participant who normally makes massive performs in quite a lot of methods. It has been a tricky sequence for White, who appears caught in a fog.
Within the 5 video games he’s taking pictures 30% from the ground and 21 from deep and averaging eight factors. He additionally has his palms full defensively with Maxey and typically VJ Edgecombe. With Tatum again within the fold and Brown coming off an MVP-flavored season, White can roam free and typically unguarded. But that hasn’t helped to this point.
His scoring common on this sequence is roughly half of the place it was throughout the season. And his missed pictures have harmed possessions.
Mazzulla caught with him regardless. That’s how a lot religion the coach has in a participant that helped win a championship. White performed 36 minutes. Payton Pritchard has been a greater choice this sequence however was pulled within the fourth quarter, when the Sixers flexed and the Celtics went chilly.
If this continues in Sport 6, Mazzulla’s endurance might dip. It’s actually as much as White and his present hunch and whether or not he can recapture his stage of the common season and return to kind. If not, Pritchard can anticipated elevated minutes and touches.
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Shaun Powell has lined the NBA since 1985. You possibly can e-mail him at spowell@nba.com, discover his archive right here and follow him on X.