76ers beat – Joel Embiid’s 33-point, eight-assist performance powered the 76ers’ 113-97 Game 5 win over the Celtics, extending the series as Philly dominates the fourth quarter.
The Philadelphia 76ers weren’t ready to exit stage left. With Joel Embiid driving the offense and finishing with a commanding double-double, Misryoum reports that Philadelphia forced new life into the series by beating the Boston Celtics 113-97 in Game 5.
Embiid poured in 33 points and added eight assists in a performance that carried extra emotional weight—just 19 days removed from an appendectomy.. The storyline could have easily been about recovery or caution. but the Sixers’ star looked like a player playing through urgency. not limitations.. Tyrese Maxey followed with 25 points. 10 rebounds. and five assists. giving Philly the kind of all-around pressure that makes opponents feel outnumbered on both ends.
Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown still produced—Tatum finished with 24 points and 16 rebounds, while Brown added 22.. Yet the Celtics couldn’t turn talent into consistent efficiency, particularly from distance.. Their three-point shooting—11 of 39. 28 percent—became a recurring problem that echoed the kind of outside struggles seen in earlier games. and it left Boston chasing momentum instead of building it.
Quentin Grimes’ 18 points off the bench mattered in a way that doesn’t always show up in box scores.. Through the first four games. Boston’s bench impact had been a key factor. and Philly needed a swing in that department to keep the game from slipping away early.. Grimes helped do the job, giving the Sixers another offensive look when the starters needed rest without losing their edge.
The final quarter is where the game truly tilted.. Philadelphia outscored Boston 28-11 in the fourth, turning what had been a competitive evening into a rout.. That burst didn’t happen in isolation—earlier possessions set the table. and once the Sixers started finishing consistently. Boston’s ability to regroup evaporated.. When a team can flatten an opponent that late. it sends a message about discipline and defensive urgency. not just scoring.
From a series perspective, the immediate impact is obvious: elimination is postponed.. But the longer-term question is what the win says about the gap between the teams when they’re both operating at peak pressure.. Misryoum has seen plenty of playoff matchups where one team wins a game; fewer where the winner also looks like it can sustain the style that produced the win.. Philadelphia’s best offensive moments came with Embiid and Maxey functioning as a two-man engine. and with Paul George’s presence referenced as part of a rare alignment that gave the Sixers more continuity than they’d had at other points this postseason.
There’s also a human layer to this story that fans can feel even when they can’t quantify it.. Embiid’s return timeline added tension to every possession—whether he’d push through. whether he’d be limited. whether the injury narrative would swallow the basketball narrative.. Instead. the Sixers turned it into basketball confidence. and the crowd energy only grows when the stars show up and deliver under pressure.
Social media chatter captured the sense that Philadelphia’s “full strength” look is different. and that Game 4’s no-show had left fans wondering if the series could realistically be extended.. Tuesday’s performance didn’t erase the Celtics’ earlier control. but it did reset expectations for what Game 6 could look like—because now the Sixers have proof they can win convincingly when everything clicks.
Looking ahead to Game 6 in Philadelphia. the Celtics will likely focus on what they can control: shot quality. pace. and making sure the outside misses don’t turn into a defensive lapse that invites a fourth-quarter run.. Meanwhile. the Sixers will want to protect what worked—keeping Embiid involved in the flow. letting Maxey attack mismatches. and ensuring the bench provides enough scoring so the game doesn’t swing whenever the starters rotate.
Whether Game 5 becomes a brief spark or the start of a real push depends on adjustments and stamina. but one thing is already clear: Misryoum’s spotlight stays on this series now.. The Sixers have forced another chapter—and after a fourth-quarter statement like that, momentum is no longer just a concept.. It’s a tangible asset heading into Philadelphia.