Philly banks on Embiid’s 33-point masterpiece to stay alive in the playoffs

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Series not yet done.

On April 29, 2026, the Philadelphia 76ers breathed life into their NBA playoff bid after shocking the Boston Celtics on the road, 113-97, in Game 5 of the ongoing postseason at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

Facing elimination in front of 19,156 hostile Boston fans, Philadelphia found a new lease on life after superstar Joel Embiid delivered a vintage master class, unleashing 33 points on an efficient 12-of-23 shooting from the field.

Despite a slow start, Embiid continued to put pressure on Boston’s frontcourt, attacking the shaded lane and eventually finding his offensive rhythm through free throws midway through the second quarter.

As soon as Embiid settled in and got to his sweet spots, the 76ers began to feed him and ran the old-fashioned play of “giving the guy with the hot hands the ball and getting out of his way.”

Embiid then threw it back with the classic back-to-the-basket type of play as he helped the 76ers stop the bleeding with six consecutive points, all in the paint, before halftime.

The 76ers began the third frame with cruel intentions, stunning the Celtics with a 9-2 burst and forcing Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla to call a quick timeout out of frustration.

Philadelphia didn’t need any major adjustments in the second half, and the team just let the game come to them. Aside from Embiid’s offensive eruption, the 76ers also received a much-needed scoring lift from veteran swingman Paul George.

Hounded by back-to-back inconsistent scoring performances in Games 3 and 4, George set the tone for the 76ers with three early treys in the first half, followed by aggressive drives to the basket that steered Philadelphia within striking distance heading into the fourth quarter.

All hell broke loose when the final period tipped off after the 76ers sucked the life out of Boston with a 15-2 run to officially turn the tide and complete the 16-point turnaround.

Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and George stepped up when Philadelphia needed their clutch genes the most. The trio outscored the entire Boston squad in the fourth quarter alone, capping off the final 12 minutes of action with a lopsided 28-11 dominance.

With the Game 5 dub, the 76ers avoided elimination, trimming their series deficit to 3-2, and will have a chance to force a Game 7 if they pull off another upset win on May 1, 2026, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference playoff duel.

Maxey backstopped Embiid’s 33-point clinic with an all-around outing of 25 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block.

George chipped in 16 points, nine boards, seven dimes, and two steals, while Quentin Grimes led the bench mob with 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field.