Joel Embiid’s Greatest Playoff Games, Half II: Game 5 vs Celtics in 2026

We began this sequence by trying again on certainly one of Joel Embiid’s early postseasons with the Sixers, as the massive man had a dominant Game 3 in 2019 towards Toronto. At that point, followers have been viewing the Sixers in a really optimistic gentle. Fast ahead seven years to 2026, and followers had all however tapped out on the staff’s possibilities of making any noise within the postseason. Then, Embiid and firm discovered a method again right into a sequence they appeared to haven’t any probability in.

Final Score: Sixers 113, Celtics 97

Series rating after consequence: Boston leads 3-2

Embiid’s stat line: 33 factors, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 12-23 FGs, 0-5 3PTFGs, 1 block, +13 score

Before the sport began, it felt like a funeral. Maybe it wasn’t a coincidence Boston was donning its black uniforms. The Celtics blew out the Sixers in Game 4 after smoking them in Game 1 and profitable a hard-fought Game 3. Boston was returning to its residence flooring up 3-1 within the best-of-seven and poised to make fast work of the Sixers, like most No. 2 seeds are inclined to do towards No. 7 seeds within the first spherical of the NBA Playoffs.

Once the sport began, nothing occurred within the first half that indicated in any other case. The Celtics led 57-50 on the break and traditional knowledge instructed everybody Boston would draw back much more within the second half and win by double digits to shut out the sequence and remove the Sixers from the postseason for the fourth time since 2018. There was actually no motive to imagine something would change, till it did.

I’m undecided what occurred at halftime and into the second half, however the Sixers dominated the ultimate 24 minutes of Game 5, holding Boston to only 11 factors within the fourth quarter, behind a recharged Embiid. After lacking the primary three video games of the sequence, Embiid returned in Game 4 at residence and didn’t appear to be himself. A story rapidly emerged that the previous MVP had returned too rapidly after the Sixers received Game 2 on the highway and competed for the complete 48 minutes in Game 3. But Embiid discovered a approach to combine himself come Game 5.

The eight assists are by far probably the most spectacular piece of Embiid’s stat line as they’re emblematic of how the Sixers acquired again right into a sequence they didn’t seem to have an opportunity in. Of course, Embiid led the way in which and was doing virtually no matter he wished to do contained in the arc and scoring with ease. But, along with Embiid, Philly had 4 different scorers in double figures in Game 5. No Sixer in addition to Embiid tried greater than 18 area objectives within the recreation. Everyone was getting concerned and abruptly the Sixers seemed like a assured group after six straight quarters of getting totally outplayed between Game 4 and the primary half of Game 5.

Maybe this was the right storm for Embiid and the Sixers to relight a flame that had been extinguished for years. After shedding a aggressive seven-game sequence towards the Celtics within the 2023 second spherical, Philly had produced a mediocre 2023-24 season, a disastrous 2024-25 marketing campaign and one other mediocre yr in 2025-26. No one actually thought Philly was something greater than a play-in match staff for many of 2025-26 and definitely when the Sixers drew Boston within the first spherical, many individuals rapidly superior the Celtics into the second spherical.

Down 3-1 within the sequence and down seven at half on the highway in Game 5, there wasn’t a lick of stress on the Sixers however they appeared to embrace that within the second half. We all know the Sixers introduced this lack of expectation on themselves with practically a decade of playoff disappointment having piled up. But, to their credit score, they might have laid down. Embiid didn’t should play in Game 5 after an abysmal Game 4. Not solely did he swimsuit up, however Embiid acquired the Sixers again up off the mat with a stellar efficiency away from residence.