Sixers at Celtics: Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey Star in Fantastic Game 5 Win

3 observations after Sixers play fantastic Game 5, go up 3-2 on Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

BOSTON — The Sixers are one win away from eliminating the defending Eastern Conference champions and they didn't need any James Harden game-winners Tuesday night.

They earned a decisive victory in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series against the Celtics, beating Boston 115-103 to grab a 3-2 series lead.

Joel Embiid was the Sixers' top scorer, recording 33 points. Tyrese Maxey added 30 points.

Harden had 17 points on 4-for-8 shooting, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Tobias Harris contributed 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting and 11 rebounds.

Celtics star Jayson Tatum posted 36 points. Jaylen Brown scored 24. 

The Sixers will host Game 6 on Thursday night. Here are observations on the team's Game 5 win:

Timeouts doing the trick 

Though the Sixers’ opening possession was not as smooth as intended, Embiid bailed the team out with a three-pointer late in the shot clock that got a high, generous bounce into the hoop. 

Tatum’s first quarter was not as fortunate or productive. After a woeful start to the Celtics’ Game 4 overtime loss, Tatum again struggled to begin Game 5. He missed a great three-point look on his first shot and began the contest 0 for 6. He did continue to present a threat as a drive and passer, though. The four-time All-Star fed Malcom Brogdon for a corner three on the Sixth Man of the Year’s first touch. 

Almost every Sixers possession early revolved around the Harden-Embiid two-man game. Harden was initially deferential and determined to get Embiid face-up opportunities against Al Horford, who’d done impressive work on the exhausted MVP late in Game 4. Embiid narrowly missed a couple of mid-range jumpers, but both he and Harden generally made solid decisions. The Sixers didn’t commit a turnover until nearly five minutes into the second quarter. Embiid accepted a Harden pocket pass in stride and sunk a mid-range jumper. Harden then shifted gears in the middle of the first period and sustained the tremendous efficiency from his 42-point Game 4. He picked the right matchups and moments to attack and started 4 for 4 from the field. 

Brown gave Boston a bit of positive momentum with a driving layup and a fast-break bucket to cut the Sixers’ lead to 22-19. That led Doc Rivers to call timeout.

The Sixers’ head coach has seemed quicker than usual this series in terms of his timeout usage, seeking to stem trouble before it truly escalates. To Rivers’ credit, the Sixers have tended to execute sharply out of timeouts. On Tuesday, the team’s after-timeout play eventually resulted in a Maxey-Embiid dribble handoff and subsequent Maxey layup. The Sixers then turned to their zone defense for a possession and Horford air balled a three against it. 

Maxey’s ATO lay-in got him rolling. He hit three long-range jumpers late in the first, confidently firing whatever jumpers were available.

Welcome to the party, Danuel House Jr. 

Before Tuesday, Danuel House Jr. had only been asked to play a single meaningful possession in the series. In Game 3, he played 19 seconds of defense.  

Rivers handed the veteran wing significantly more time than that in Game 5; House started the second quarter and guarded Brogdon. Rather improbably, the Sixers scored the second period’s first seven points, in large part because they out-hustled the Celtics. Paul Reed dove on the floor, got tied up, and won the subsequent jump ball. Seconds later, Harden drained a three. And after De’Anthony Melton stripped the ball from Tatum, House finished the ensuing fast break off with a lefty layup. The Celtics called timeout and appeared shaken by the Embiid-less run they’d just absorbed. 

Unsurprisingly, Boston had an immediate response. Harden helped the Celtics out by fouling Derrick White on a three, and Brogdon and Tatum scored in the paint during a 10-0 Boston spurt. Maxey also misfired twice as the Sixers experienced a mini-scoring drought. 

But as long as Embiid continued to touch the ball, extended scoreless periods didn’t appear likely. Over the final 5:32 of the second quarter, he both drew and converted nine foul shots. The Celtics were predictably displeased with a whistle or two, but Embiid’s adroit footwork, fakes, and varied timing on his post moves exploited Boston’s aggressive defense. The Sixers haven’t always been stellar this season at holding leads, but Embiid is such a fantastic go-to guy when the team needs to stop a run and get back on track. 

Harris was strong during that stretch, too. He nailed a catch-and-shoot three to give the Sixers a 51-39 edge, played tight defense on Tatum, and was committed on the defensive glass. Harris’ first half ended a touch earlier than planned, though; he took a seat after being assessed his third foul with 44.1 seconds left in the second quarter. The call appeared a harsh one, since Smart leaned into Harris as he threw up a lefty layup. The good news for the Sixers was that Brown also faced foul trouble and sat with three fouls late in the second quarter after charging into Harden. 

Late in the third, Celtics guard Payton Pritchard made his series rotation debut. Of course, the circumstances at that point were more desperate from Boston. 

Meanwhile, House added four more layups after halftime and one big assist on a Maxey three early in the fourth quarter. His 15 minutes were impactful.

Sixers get through to the finish line 

Though the Celtics missed plenty of open looks from long distance — most notably Horford, who shot 0 for 7 from three-point land — the Sixers’ defensive effort was outstanding. In the second quarter, Maxey didn’t budge against Horford in the post and Boston’s big man wound up throwing the ball out of bounds. 

Everything looks better when the opponent misses jumper after jumper, but the Sixers didn’t get badly beaten off the dribble much and were typically zealous and cohesive with their defensive rotations.

Tatum sought out his shot more after Harris picked up his fourth foul with 8:16 to go in the third quarter. However, that approach did not spearhead a Celtics comeback, largely because his jumpers were still wayward. Embiid drained a couple of timely mid-range shots, too. Tatum found somewhat of a scoring groove late in the third, but he received minimal support and the Sixers didn’t allow Boston to string together many stops.

They also kept coming up with important defensive plays in the midst of Tatum’s tough shotmaking, including a back-tap Melton steal that resulted in a fast-break hoop for the 24-year-old. Boston fans booed following a Maxey floater that built the Sixers’ lead to 19 points. 

The Celtics trimmed their deficit down to 11 early in the fourth quarter, but the Sixers never seemed especially vulnerable. By the time Embiid blocked his fourth shot — an emphatic chase-down rejection on Brown — a victory felt very secure. P.J. Tucker saved his first and only hoop of the evening for a fourth-quarter corner triple. Embiid raised his arms and grinned after a step-back Maxey three, while a large chunk of Celtics fans headed for the exits.

Pritchard and the Sixers did inject a smidge of unexpected drama in the final minutes, but the Sixers made it to the finish line without any serious panic. One more win would mean the team's first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2001.