76ers’ Joel Embiid sends huge message to Celtics with confident claim after Game 5

Joel Embiid looked dominant in his second game back from an emergency appendectomy, carrying the Philadelphia 76ers past the Boston Celtics, 113-97, in Game 5 at TD Garden on Tuesday to stay alive in their first-round series in the playoffs.

Embiid toyed with every defense thrown at him by the Celtics. He finished with 33 points on 12-of-23 shooting, four rebounds, and eight assists.

He acknowledged that he had to be more conscious of his shot selection to avoid getting shackled by Boston. But he also remained confident that he could score on anyone.

“I feel pretty good about my chances of going one-on-one against anybody in this league. I don’t think that can be stopped. So I just took advantage of what they were giving me, and once when they made the adjustment, I tried to do the best shot possible,” said Embiid in the postgame conference.

“When I’m aggressive, it opens up shots for everybody else. I think it’s finding the right balance, the right mix.”

“I don’t think I can be stopped.” @JoelEmbiid discusses his offensive approach following his 33-point outing that helped the 76ers prevail in Game 5. pic.twitter.com/zn98CFo5qq

— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 29, 2026

As he said, his tenacity in Game 5 allowed his teammates to get better opportunities. Tyrese Maxey scored 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting, while Paul George and VJ Edgecombe combined for 26 points, including seven three-pointers.

But while Embiid was impressive, he said he was not satisfied with his performance. His rough self-assessment should send a warning to the Celtics ahead of Game 6 in Philadelphia on Thursday, similar to Maxey’s vow to the fans of the Sixers.

“I still didn’t feel as good as I want to be, or even close. So I gotta keep working on it so I can have a better game next game,” added Embiid.

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