Embiid, 76ers roll for a 3-2 lead
Having silenced the TD Garden crowd and put the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics on the brink of a second-round exit, the Philadelphia 76ers barely cracked a smile as they walked off the court.
“It’s not over. We have to get one more,” star center Joel Embiid said. “All of us. We have to show up.”
They soon will get that chance.
Embiid scored 33 points, and Philadelphia easily took a 3-2 lead in the East semifinals, beating Boston 115-103 on Tuesday night.
The 76ers led by 21 points in the fourth quarter as home fans booed the Celtics. Philadelphia can close out the series and advance to the conference finals when it hosts Game 6 on Thursday night. The 76ers haven’t reached that stage of the playoffs since 2001.
“What we did tonight, it’s easier said than done, but we have to do it again,” Embiid said.
It was the third consecutive 30-point game in the series for the reigning NBA most valuable player, who used his full array of offensive weapons to pick apart the Celtics’ defense. He also had seven rebounds, four blocked shots and three three-pointers.
Tyrese Maxey added 30 points and six threepointers. James Harden finished with 17 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.
Jayson Tatum led Boston with 36 points but was just 11 for 27 from the field. Jaylen Brown finished with 24 points. The Celtics went 12 for 38 from beyond the three-point arc.
“We just didn’t have it today,” Tatum said.
Denver 118, Phoenix 102: Nikola Jokic had 29 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists for his 10th career playoff tripledouble, breaking a tie with Wilt Chamberlain for most by a center in NBA history, and the Nuggets took a 3-2 series lead.
All-defensive teams
Defensive player of the year Jaren Jackson Jr. of Memphis and Milwaukee’s Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez headlined the NBA’s all-defensive first team. Also voted to the first team were Cleveland forward Evan Mobley and Chicago guard Alex Caruso.