Joel Embiid’s toughness, resiliency on display as Sixers force Game 6
Apr 28, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) exits the court after the game against the Boston Celtics in game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images BOSTON –With their backs against the wall and on the brink of elimination, the Philadelphia 76ers dominated the Boston Celtics down the stretch on Tuesday night, holding Boston to 14 straight missed field goals to close out the game on their way to a 113-97 win over the Celtics to force a Game 6 in Philadelphia on Thursday. The Sixers received huge contributions up and down the roster.
Quentin Grimes gave the team their first real boost off the bench in the series, dropping 18 points on eight shots, in a game where his defense was perhaps even more impressive than the scoring punch he provided in his 24 minute run off the bench. Paul George set the tone early, firing away from deep while locking down Jaylen Brown in a 19/9/7 outing that showcased his versatility. And Tyrese Maxey dropped 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, commenting after the game that he was “just tired of giving up rebounds, man” when asked about his season-high 10 defensive rebounds.
It was one of the more impressive team wins over a quality opponent that the Sixers have had this year. But even while acknowledging that, this was, without a shadow of a doubt, the Joel Embiid show. In just his second game back after undergoing an emergency appendectomy on April 9th, through sheer force of will, Joel Embiid carried the Sixers down the stretch to an improbable win over a tough opponent in a very hostile environment, one that has caused this team, and Embiid specifically, fits in the past.
Embiid finished with 18 points on 7-10 shooting after intermission, playing in 19 of 22 second half minutes before the teams emptied the bench with the game out of hand. Embiid would finish the night with a game-high 33 points and eight assists on 12-23 shooting from the field. “He was dominant, especially in the second half,” Tyrese Maxey said after the game.
“I was proud of him tonight. “He can be [Shaq]. Or he could be Dirk Nowitzki some days,” Maxey continued.
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