Unsolved mystery: Sixers confound Celtics in Game 5, extend series

If you want to try and figure out this Sixers team during the playoffs, you better carve yourself out a ton of free time. 

How else do you explain a pair of 32-point losses followed by two double-digit wins? At TD Garden, no less. You just can't, and that is what is making all of this so interesting, fun and, at times maddening.

Whatever you choose, there will be a Game 6 on Thursday at the Xfinity Mobile Arena as the Sixers played a near flawless game on Tuesday and posted a 113-97 win over Boston and now trail the best-of-seven series 3-2.

Everything went the Sixers way, mostly because of their own doing, as the game was the polar opposite of what happened Sunday. Boston was held to just 11 three-pointers, 13 below how many it had on Sunday. Its two stars, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, were held to a combined 17-for-42 (40.5 percent) from the floor and the bench contributed just 28 points compared to 57 on Sunday.

Joel Embiid, in just his second game back from having an appendectomy on April 9, simply dominated throughout the night.

Joel Embiid 33 PTS, 4 REB, 8 AST, 1 BLK, 12/23 FG, 9/10 FT, 60.2% TS vs Boston pic.twitter.com/3uJklJssOp https://t.co/sljdtqAim5

— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) April 29, 2026

He finished with 33 points and eight assists, and didn't hit a three-pointer all night. The Sixers offense looked vastly different than it normally does with Embiid. The high pick-and-roll was used sparingly, replaced by Embiid posting more down low. He continuously took whoever was guarding him off the dribble or hit face-up mid-range jumpers. And when he needed to, the turnaround jumper was there for him, also.

Tyrese Maxey shot 10-for-18 from the floor on his way to 25 points, and also grabbed 10 rebounds. Paul George collected 16 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, while VJ Edgecombe had 10 points and seven rebounds.

Quentin Grimes was a difference-maker off the bench as he drained an efficient 18 points on 5-for-8 shooting, including 4-for-7 from three-point range. 

The Sixers, who trailed by as many as 13 in the third quarter, outscored the Celtics by 63-40 in the second half. 

The series will return to Philadelphia on Thursday for Game 6. The time of the game has yet to be announced.