The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Boston Celtics 113-97 in Game 5, keeping their playoff hopes alive. Joel Embiid led the team with 33 points, while Tyrese Maxey contributed 25 points.
BOSTON -- The Philadelphia 76ers took another trip to the TD Garden on Tuesday for Game 5 of their Round 1 series as they looked to keep their season alive. Staring elimination in the face while trailing the series 3-1, the Sixers needed a strong effort on the road to stay alive for another day.
From the jump, the Sixers battled their tails off and made sure they were going to stay alive for another day. Every time the Celtics looked like they were going to run away with it and put them away, the Sixers dug deep, rallied, and earned a 113-97 win to put the season obituaries away for at least one more night.
Philadelphia received 33 points, eight assists, and four rebounds from Joel Embiid while Tyrese Maxey had 25 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Paul George had 16 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, Quentin Grimes had 18 points, and VJ Edgecombe had 10 points and seven rebounds.
Here are the player grades following the season-saving win:
After a quiet Game 4, Maxey came out aggressive in this one. With the season on the line, it was important that the Sixers received a big Maxey night and he obliged. He was getting into the paint with ease as he put his head down and attacked the basket every chance he got. The 3-point shot was still a struggle for him as he continues to fight through the finger injury, but Maxey being aggressive was a big help in this one to give the Sixers a fighting chance. He had some big moments in the third as the Sixers continued to stay with it despite Boston threatening to pull away. Not the most efficient game for him, but Maxey was very good in this one.
The Sixers won Game 5 with a score of 113-97, preventing elimination in their playoff series.
Joel Embiid scored 33 points, and Tyrese Maxey added 25 points, contributing significantly to the win.
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The rookie did finally knock down a 3 early in this one as he was able to find something there to hang his hat on, but other than that, Edgecombe had a tough time building any real rhythm. He struggled in the paint and didn’t get a lot of real open looks as Boston’s defense focused on him a lot. To his credit, Edgecombe found other ways to impact the game as he was tough on the defensive end.
The Sixers got George going early with a couple of open 3-pointers. The Celtics continue to play in a drop coverage and it opened up opportunities for the 16-year veteran to step into some open 3s. He competed on the defensive end of the floor and was able to give the Sixers a variety of things on offense between scoring and playmaking. He was terrific with his 3-point shooting, made plays with his passing, was terrific on the defensive end, and was an all-around reliable player. This version of George was fantastic for Philadelphia in all facets.
The Sixers needed energy and focus from Oubre in this one and he had some good moments for Philadelphia. Even though he continued to struggle with his 3-point shot, he was able to contribute in other ways. He found success in the paint and was able to give the Sixers a presence on the perimeter defensively.
The big fella got off to a slow start in this one as he was setting for jumpers more often than not. He started 1-for-7 from the floor, including 0-for-4 from deep, and then committed back-to-back fouls as the Celtics built a lead. After that point, he began to get more aggressive going inside rather than trying to get his jumper going as he found some offensive success. Embiid was heating up in the third quarter as he was feasting inside against Celtics big man Nikola Vucevic, but he then left for the locker room late in the third. He did end up returning and finishing strong as he was a problem that Boston had trouble solving in this one as once he went into the post and found a rhythm, it then helped with his jumper.
The initial stint for Grimes was not great. He had some tough defensive moments as he was unable to guard his yard on the perimeter. The Celtics attacked him every time and it led to a lot of success for them on their offensive end. He also had a bad turnover leading to a Boston bucket. After that slow start, however, Grimes was fantastic. His 3-point shooting was huge and his overall offense was something the Sixers were able to lean on in tough moments. This was the best he had looked in this entire series.
The Sixers turned to Drummond as the backup center again in this one and the 14-year veteran had some tough moments on the defensive end. He is just a step slow on that end of the floor, but his size was a big help in the paint. He also knocked down a corner 3 which is always a big help.
The initial stint for Barlow in this one was solid. He moved his feet well on defense and was helpful on the glass. The Sixers just ask him to give the team energy and he gave it in this one on both ends. He didn’t play in the second half until it was over.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Player grades: Sixers keep season alive with Game 5 win over Celtics