NEW YORK – The Philadelphia 76ers took a step closer to the National Basketball Association (NBA) Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night, but they showed little expression as they walked off the court after their victory at Boston’s TD Garden.
They knew that the game is not over yet.
A towering performance from NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid – who had 33 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots – was key as the Sixers powered to a 115-103 victory over the Celtics to stun the home fans into silence.
The result gave them a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven semi-final series, meaning they will advance to the Finals with a win in Game 6 back in Philadelphia on Thursday.
But Embiid insisted that it is only a slim advantage and that anything can happen if the team lose their focus.
“It’s not over. We have to get one more. All of us. We have to show up. What we did tonight, it’s easier said than done. But we have to do it again,” he said on ESPN.
“You know, we have just got our best interests at heart, we are just trying to win, whatever it takes to win. I only care about one thing, which is winning (the series).”
The Cameroonian centre led the scoring in a superbly balanced Sixers offensive performance, with five players finishing in double figures. Tyrese Maxey tormented Boston with 30 points, including six three-pointers, while point guard James Harden was a constant thorn in the side of the Celtics, finishing with 17 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.
“I thought Joel did a great job of shooting when he needed to shoot and passing when he needed to pass,” Sixers coach Doc Rivers said.
“Our composure overall was good. You know they’re going to make shots, they’re going to make runs. That team is tough, and you’ve got to breathe through it. I thought our guys did that.”
He also reserved special praise for the contribution of Harden.
“I thought James was a magician tonight. He called a perfect game. He was aggressive early on, when he needed to be aggressive. And then he got everybody else involved,” Rivers said.
Boston never recovered after the Sixers pulled away to lead by 14 points in the second quarter.
Although the Celtics closed the deficit to nine at half-time, they were unable to apply sustained pressure.
Philadelphia always found a way of responding to keep them at arm’s length throughout the second half, leading by double digits for almost the entirety of the third and fourth quarters.
Boston’s scoring was led by a 36-point display from Jayson Tatum, while Jaylen Brown finished with 24 points.
Philadelphia had a 49-36 edge in rebounds, and Boston shot 39.8 per cent from the field (33 of 83), while the Sixers hit 50.6 per cent (40 of 79) of their shots.
Boston coach Joe Mazzulla was left ruing what he described as his team’s worst performance of the post-season.
“That was the first game of the play-offs where we didn’t play well,” he said.
“We can’t lose perspective because the players have played some really good basketball. But that was our first really, really bad game of the play-offs.
“Doesn’t come at necessarily the best time, but we just need to shift perspective and get ready for the next game.”
Celtics guard Marcus Smart, who had 14 points, urged his teammates to buck up for Game 6.
He said: “If you’re not willing to get dirty, if you’re not willing to pretty much bleed... then you shouldn’t be on that court. Because that’s what it is. That’s what the play-offs are about.”
AFP, REUTERS
