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Apr 28, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) exits the court after the game against the Boston Celtics in game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
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Apr 28, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) exits the court after the game against the Boston Celtics in game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
The Philadelphia 76ers and Joel Embiid gave themselves a chance. Game 5 had a different tempo, with Embiid playing only his second game of the series. The Process, still fragile from his surgery, took a few moments to get himself going. After a timid first quarter, the former MVP didn’t hold back. His clinical performance helped the 76ers claim a comfortable win at the TD Garden and kept their season alive.
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Embiid scored a game-high 33 points while also having eight assists in Philly’s 113-97 win over the Celtics in Game 5. The 32-year-old started the game shooting just 1/6 from the floor in the first quarter. The majority of those looks came from beyond the arc, until a mid-range jumper gave Joel Embiid the confidence to play in the interior.
Over the next two quarters, the five-time All-NBA center picked up some rhythm in the second half. Embiid’s 18 second-half points were invaluable for the 76ers. Philly, from down 13 in the third, led by 17 points by the end of the game. That sharp swing came primarily from The Process’ precision-filled performance.
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Aside from Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey followed suit. The speedy guard dropped an efficient 25-points to go with 10 rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Paul George and Quentin Grimes combined for another 34 points, giving the 76ers a vital win in Game 5. It kept their season alive, with the next game coming at the XFinity Mobile Arena.
Joel Embiid in Game 5 win vs. Celtics:
33 PTS
8 AST
4 REB
1 BLK
12-23 FG
in 39 MIN18 PTS on 7-10 FG in 2nd half.
Sixers force series back to Philly for Game 6.pic.twitter.com/TbjCQaf0kZ
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) April 29, 2026
Embiid’s return has clearly given the Philadelphia 76ers an immense boost. Winning at TD Garden in a potential closeout game doesn’t happen without him. But Tyrese Maxey still had one demand from the team.
“I’m just tired. I’m just tired of giving up rebounds, man. We played really good defense a lot of these times we’re giving up rebounds…We gotta reward ourselves, and because we get a defensive rebound, now we can go play in space,” Maxey said after the game.
Those concerns were also shared by the community.
NBA fans don’t see Joel Embiid doing his basic job
As the night grew darker, Joel Embiid started to find his spots more regularly in Game 5 against the Celtics. But some fans noticed weird behavior on the 7-footers’ part. “I literally watched him run away from rebounds the NBA is rigged,” one comment read. Typically, when fully healthy, Embiid sees an easy pathway to a double-double, with his ability to impose his size to secure the glass. Tonight, that was absent, leading to the Celtics dominating the offensive glass, with 15 offensive rebounds.
“Maxey had more boards than him and idk how,” another fan wrote. Maxey was among four players considerably shorter than Embiid to grab more rebounds. He led the team in that stat. Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr., and VJ Edgecombe were the other 76ers players who managed to secure more rebounds than Embiid.
To an extent, it’s true that “Couldn’t rebound at all in the second,” as a fan wrote. He struggled to do so for the entire game. Being physical, only weeks removed from surgery for appendicitis, does have a clear impact on his movement. Furthermore, the one time he tried to establish his presence at the rim, Joel Embiid appeared to pick up an injury in his left knee.
That happened in the third quarter, with Embiid managing to return shortly after a brief exit to the locker room. That became another reason for the 7-time All-Star to be cautious with his vertical activity. Some fans were angered by the impact of his less-than-usual rebounding volume. “4 rebounds for A 7-footer is soft!” a fan wrote.
While you would expect Embiid to grab more rebounds, his impact was still very much felt. He wasn’t nearly as bad as this fan saying, “Entire quarter with 0 rebounds yeah he’s d—–t”. Yes, Embiid didn’t get boards, leading to 11 more possession opportunities for the Celtics. But the 32-year-old led the team in assists, adding 21 points through his ball movement over his game-high scoring output.
As time goes on, Embiid will start to regain some of his mobility that’s currently limited. But he’s still the 76ers’ pulse, even without the rebounds. Philly could push this series to 7 now that Joel Embiid is back in the mix. While the job isn’t done, Nick Nurse will feel far better about his chance, even if Embiid isn’t completely rejuvenated yet.
