In Game 5, the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Celtics 113-97 at TD Garden, using a brutal fourth quarter to turn a tense playoff game into a road statement. Boston was still close after three, still dangerous, still within range of one of those familiar green avalanches. Then Philadelphia held the Celtics to just 11 points in the final period and walked out of Boston with a win that might do more than change a series: change the air around it.
Joel Embiid was the center of everything, finishing with 33 points and eight assists, punishing Boston not only with size but with patience. Tyrese Maxey added 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, attacking space before the defense could get set. Paul George did not need to dominate the ball; his 16 points, nine rebounds and seven assists gave Philadelphia exactly the connective tissue it needed.
For Boston, Jayson Tatum had 24 points and 16 rebounds, and Jaylen Brown scored 22, but the Celtics never found their usual offensive rhythm when it mattered most. The fourth quarter became a slow unraveling: missed shots, stalled possessions, and a Philadelphia defense that seemed to make the floor smaller with every trip.
This was not a pretty theft. It was too controlled for that. The Sixers won it with force, patience and a closing kick that silenced one of the loudest buildings in the league. In Game 5, Philadelphia did not merely survive Boston. It made the Celtics look suddenly mortal.
