The 76ers (3-2) can eliminate the Boston Celtics (2-3) from the NBA playoffs on Thursday night in South Philadelphia and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001. Game 6 is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and 97.5 The Fanatic.
The Sixers defeated the Celtics, 115-103, in Game 5 on Tuesday night in Boston. It was a statement road victory for the Sixers, and their second consecutive win in the series.
Tobias Harris (16 points, 11 rebounds) said the Sixers were locked in from shootaround through the final buzzer:
“We made the game simple [Tuesday]. Everyone chipped in with great effort.”
MVP Joel Embiid (33 points)—named to the Kia All-NBA First Team for the first time in his career on Wednesday—recorded his third straight 30-point game. He also blocked four shots, including one on quite the hustle play late in the game when he turned the ball over but chased down Boston’s Jaylen Brown.
“I’m going to give a shoutout to the big fella, Joel,” Tyrese Maxey (30 points, 6-12 3fg) said. “This year, as soon as we got to Charleston for training camp, I just noticed his leadership grow. When your best player is adamant about winning and leading by example, you have to raise your level of intensity.”
Embiid helped set the tone by scoring 21 of his 33 points (3-7 3fg) in the first half.
On a night when everything seemed to be working for a Sixers team showing great preparation and poise, James Harden (17 points, eight rebounds, 10 assists) came up just two rebounds shy of a playoff triple-double.
“I thought James was a magician tonight,” 76ers Head Coach Doc Rivers said of Harden. “He called a perfect game. He was aggressive early on, when he needed to be aggressive. And then he got everybody else involved.”
The NBA announced Wednesday afternoon that 76ers Harden and Maxey are two of the 10 nominees for the 2022-23 Bob Lanier Community Assist Award.
Game 7, if necessary, would be played Sunday in Boston.
Thursday is a 7:30 p.m. ET start in Philadelphia.
Tuesday’s Top Performances:
Joel Embiid
- Embiid scored a team-high 33 points with seven rebounds, three assists, and a game-high four blocks in 37 minutes.
Tyrese Maxey
- In a game-high 42 minutes of play, Maxey dropped 30 points, including a 6-for-12 shooting effort from beyond the arc, plus seven rebounds and three assists.
James Harden
- Harden neared a triple-double with 17 points, eight rebounds, a game-high 10 assists, and two steals in 39 minutes.
Tobias Harris
- Harris collected his double-double by the early second half and finished the game with 16 points, a game-high 11 rebounds, and an assist in 31 minutes. He shot an efficient 7-for-10 from the field.
Danuel House Jr.
- In 15 minutes off the bench, House Jr. sparked the Sixers with 10 points—including a perfect 5-for-5 shooting performance from inside the arc—and five rebounds.
“I want to win and I can't let my brothers down,” House Jr. said. “My name was called, so I had to step up.”
76ers vs. Boston Celtics: May 09, 2023
1 / 10James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles downcourt against the Boston Celtics during the second half of game five of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs at TD Garden on May 09, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
@Sixers Social:
Quote to Note:
Doc Rivers, Wednesday afternoon, on the team’s mindset ahead of Game 6:
“You can’t get too comfortable. Period. In the playoffs, there’s no such thing as comfort. I’ve never heard the words comfort and playoffs together. They just don’t go together.”
Follow Along Thursday (7:30 PM ET):
Watch: ESPN
Listen: 97.5 The Fanatic
