Almost everyone had called time on the Philadelphia 76ers after the end of Game 4. Most felt Game 5 would end with the Boston Celtics going to the semifinals. Despite Joel Embiid’s unexpected return and Tyrese Maxey’s massive effort, they and their teammates suffered a humiliating loss on the home floor. However, the Sixers aren’t ready to start their summer vacations just yet. Following an unforeseen 113–97 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 5 on Tuesday night, the duo spoke candidly about the internal fire sparked by their previous “disgraceful” showing.

For Joel Embiid, the win was a personal rebuttal to those questioning his durability and effort following an emergency medical procedure. For Tyrese Maxey, who’s been carrying the shorthanded squad all season, he viewed the night as a necessary act of penance for the Philadelphia faithful.

“Our fans deserve a win at home. We lost a tough one, then we got blown out of the water. So we deserve to go out there and fight,” Maxey told reporters tonight, reflecting on the 32-point blowout loss in Game 4. “After that performance that we put on last time in front of our fans, that was a disgrace, and it was unacceptable. And so I know I plan on making sure our teammates, my teammates, go out there, and we fight, and we fight, we scratch, and we claw, and we try to get another W.”

Top Stories

NBA

“15 Years I’ve Been Asking”: Michael Jordan’s HOF Coach Urges NBA Change After Steve Kerr’s Stunning Idea

1 day ago

NBA

NBA Playoffs: Lakers’ Austin Reaves Unsure if He Will Play in Game 5 vs Rockets

13 hrs ago

NBA

Who Are Victor Wembanyama’s Parents? Meet Félix Wembanyama and Elodie de Fautereau

3+ weeks ago

WNBA

“The GOAT”: Raven Johnson’s Caitlin Clark Remark Flips Fever Fans’ Narrative

1 day ago

NBA

Billionaire NBA Team Owner Makes U-Turn After Being Branded ‘Cheap’ for Cost-Cutting Measures

1 day ago

Maxey backed up his words with a stellar 25-point, 10-rebound double-double, providing the relentless energy the Sixers lacked just 48 hours prior. It was redemptive not just for him, but also for his oft-misunderstood teammate. Embiid, who led all scorers with 33 points and 8 assists, used tonight’s win to address the “lazy” narrative that often follows his injury-plagued postseasons.

“The one thing about me is, you know, I’ve dealt with a lot of stuff over my career. I don’t complain, I just want to give as much as I can every single time I step on the floor,” Embiid stated. “I know a lot of people might have takes of that I might be lazy or whatever, but every single time I’m on the floor I want to play as hard as possible. I want to do whatever it takes to win a basketball game… I just want to play basketball, whether I’m good physically or mentally.”

The context of this turnaround cannot be overstated for Embiid, Maxey, and the entire Sixers team. As they forced Game 6, intent on tying the series and taking it home, their determination to challenge the narrative is palpable.

History says the odds remain steep. Only 13 teams in NBA playoff history have successfully come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a series- a rate of just 4.4% out of 297 instances.

The most celebrated example remains the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, who became the first and only team to erase a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals, toppling a 73-win Golden State Warriors squad. More recently, the Denver Nuggets pulled off the feat twice in a single postseason during the 2020 bubble playoffs, defeating the Utah Jazz and then the Los Angeles Clippers in back-to-back series.

What those comebacks share with Philadelphia’s current push is a common thread: a blowout or demoralizing loss that paradoxically lit the fire for what followed.

For the Nuggets in 2020, a lopsided Game 4 defeat to the Clippers seemed to signal the series was over, before Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray authored one of the great collapses. The Sixers are now writing their own chapter in that same desperate, improbable tradition.

Pressure to impress home crowd weighs heavily on Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey

The 76ers entered Game 5 trailing 3-1 after a Game 4 where Philadelphia locals watched their team get outscored by 32 points while allowing Boston to shoot 24 three-pointers. That embarrassment served as the primary motivator for a Philly squad that looked fired up at TD Garden.

Joel Embiid’s performance was particularly heroic, given that he is only 19 days removed from an emergency appendectomy on April 9. Despite a brief third-quarter scare that sent him to the locker room with a knee tweak, he returned to spark a 12-0 run that put the game out of reach.

The biggest shift in narrative he forced could be seen in Magic Johnson. While he had previously called the series in the Celtics’ favor, he apologized to the Sixers tonight for writing them off.

The change in tone has obviously gotten to Embiid, who said, “It means a lot. Obviously I fought, I pushed very hard to come back and to try to help as much as I can,” Embiid said regarding the series deficit being narrowed to 3-2. “I’m glad we won today. I didn’t want to go home and think about it all summer of what could have been if I was healthy going into the playoffs.”

Embiid remains grateful for the opportunity to keep swinging, noting, “I’m just thankful to be in a position where I get to play. You know I don’t know how long I have, I can do this. So I just want to enjoy as much as possible.” But the commentary on his uncontrollable availability is not lost on him.

Alongside Maxey and a 16-point contribution from Paul George, the Sixers held the Celtics to a meager 11 points in the fourth quarter. Quentin Grimes put on a defensive masterclass that silenced the Boston crowd and held Jayson Tatum to 24 points at a 54% true shooting efficiency, a massive drop from the 75% two days ago.

As the series heads back to Philadelphia for Game 6 on Thursday, the mission remains clear for a Sixers team that was once written off. They plan not just to claim the series, but also to give their home crowd a game that washes away the bitter taste of Game 4.