The Philadelphia 76ers extended their playoff run with a 113-97 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 5 at TD Garden on Tuesday night, and Tyrese Maxey pointed to Joel Embiid’s impact as the defining factor.
“He was dominant. Especially second half. He was extremely dominant and he did a really good job of inserting himself. I was proud of him tonight. That’s dominance that you go into a playoff game with and he did that,” Maxey said.
Philadelphia’s win cut the series deficit and forced a return to home court, with Maxey emphasizing the team’s response after previous heavy losses.
“This team’s tough. Tough group of guys, connected group of guys. We just did a good job being resilient. We got to do it a couple more times,” he said.
A decisive fourth quarter saw Boston limited to 3-of-22 shooting and just 11 points, with Maxey breaking down the defensive formula behind the swing.
“We guarded individually and then we rebounded. That’s the biggest thing on the defensive end. We rebounded and Joel communicated everything from the back line of the defense,” he said.
He also highlighted role execution across the lineup during the late-game surge.
“VJ did a really good job guarding Tatum. Paul was on Brown. I think Q got on Pritchard when he got in and the rest of us just kind of tried to rebound and defend and guard our yards. So that was a really good job,” Maxey said.
Offensively, he credited Embiid’s post dominance for unlocking the floor spacing and perimeter rhythm.
“Then offensively, Joel was dominant. He went to the post and he scored and he scored and he scored and then he kicked something out and we made some shots,” he said.
Maxey also addressed his personal emphasis on controlling the glass, finishing with 10 rebounds.
“I’m just tired of giving up rebounds, to be completely honest with you. I’m just tired of it,” he said. “It’s not a good feeling. We play really good defense a lot of these times that we’re giving up these rebounds.”
He added that rebounding directly influences the team’s offensive freedom and transition game.
“Because we get a defensive rebound now, we can go play in space. Guys can get a little more freedom and a little more leeway to go out there and maybe shoot some pull up threes and get downhill and score.”
Quentin Grimes also drew praise for his two-way impact off the bench in a pivotal stretch.
“We know we need Q all season. He’s been good all season. He’s done a good job of just playing his role, sticking with it,” Maxey said.
Looking ahead to Game 6 in Philadelphia, Maxey set a clear tone for the group.
“Just go win a game, one game at a time, and then the same thing back in Philly. Our fans deserve a win at home,” he said.
He closed by underlining the level required to finish the series turnaround.
“It will take everything we got and everything it takes to collect a performance offensively and defensively.”
