Sixers in awe of Joel Embiid after dominant Game 5 vs. Celtics

TL;DR

Joel Embiid led the Philadelphia 76ers to a Game 5 victory over the Boston Celtics with 33 points and eight assists, just 19 days after undergoing appendectomy surgery. His performance was described as dominant, especially in the second half.

Key points

Joel Embiid scored 33 points in Game 5
He had eight assists in the game
Embiid returned 19 days after appendectomy surgery
His performance was crucial for the Sixers' win
Teammates praised his dominance, especially in the second half

Philadelphia 76ersBoston CelticsJoel Embiid

BOSTON -- The Philadelphia 76ers received a huge Joel Embiid performance in Tuesday's Game 5 win over the Boston Celtics. The big fella shook off a tough 1-for-7 start and shot 11-for-16 the rest of the night to finish with 33 points and eight assists. Not bad for a guy only 19 days removed from a major appendectomy surgery.

Embiid was dominant as he threw the Sixers on his back to make sure they stayed alive for at least one more day. It's the type of performance his teammates are used to, but this one felt different.

"He was dominant," Tyrese Maxey awed after the win. "He was dominant, especially in the second half. He was extremely dominant, and he did a really good job of just inserting himself, and I was proud of him tonight, man. That's dominance that you go into a playoff game with, and he did that."

One has to wonder if the Sixers ever thought Embiid would be playing at this level after such a major surgery. When comparing his return timeline to previous players who had an appendectomy, he is ahead of schedule in terms of his recovery, but the big fella is incredible and this is what he does. Normal timelines don't matter to him.

"Three weeks ago, I probably wouldn’t have thought that," said coach Nick Nurse. "I had no idea what was gonna happen. I think we were all pretty devastated that it happened at this time of the year, but he was really, really good. I think that he’s amazing. What he does sometimes doesn’t surprise me. You know what I mean? But I think the time on the court had probably gotten to about a six or maybe a week since he’s been on the court. He’s had some decent work. He got a game under his belt. I mean, this is high-level, intense games, and I think it just took him a minute to get some rhythm."

The Sixers will now look to Embiid to get the job done again in Game 6 in order to keep Philadelphia alive again.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers in awe of Joel Embiid after dominant Game 5 vs. Celtics

Q&A

How many points did Joel Embiid score in Game 5 against the Celtics?

Joel Embiid scored 33 points in Game 5 against the Boston Celtics.

What surgery did Joel Embiid undergo before Game 5?

Joel Embiid underwent a major appendectomy surgery 19 days before Game 5.

How did Joel Embiid perform in the second half of Game 5?

In the second half of Game 5, Joel Embiid shot 11-for-16 and was described as extremely dominant.