The Philadelphia 76ers take the series lead against the Boston Celtics thanks to a dominant performance from Embiid.
The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Boston Celtics 115-103 early on May 10, 2023, and Cameroon professional basketball player Joel Embiid scored 33 points as they easily seized a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The 76ers can win the series and advance to the conference finals when they host Game 6 on Thursday night.
The 76ers led by as many as 21 points in the fourth quarter as home supporters booed the Celtics.
Embiid scored 30 points for the third consecutive game in the series, adding seven rebounds, four blocks, and three 3-pointers to his total.
Adding 30 points and six 3-pointers, Tyrese Maxey. In the end, James Harden had 17 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds.
Despite only making 11 of 27 field goal attempts, Jayson Tatum led Boston with 36 points.
Jaylen Brown scored 24 points in total. The Celtics shot 12 of 38 from beyond the arc.
The 76ers were blown out in Game 5 the last two times they were in a second-round series that was knotted 2-2 — a 36-point loss to Toronto in 2019 and a 35-point loss to Miami last season.
The 76ers held an 88-72 advantage going into the fourth quarter after leading by as much as 19 points in the third.
The Celtics quickly made up ground, cutting the lead to 11, but Philadelphia answered with a 10-2 run that increased the score back to 102-83.
From the beginning, Philadelphia made a deliberate attempt to get the ball to Embiid in the post.
As Boston's big men were taken out of the paint, he was able to sink midrange jumpers, opening the field for his teammates.
The Celtics, however, never seemed to find their shot as their star players struggled.
Early on, the 76ers held an advantage in offensive rebounds, and Embiid's pick-and-roll settings at Al Horford were successful.
The 76ers will now have a chance to close out the Celtics on home court scheduled for Thursday, May 11, 2023.
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