The Chasedown: Joel Embiid talked about ‘sucking the energy out of the crowd’ with crucial block in the 4th quarter of Game 5
The Sixers put the defending Eastern Conference champion Celtics on the brink of elimination, silencing the raucous crowd at TD Garden with a dominant 115-103 to take a 3-2 series lead back to Philly.
It was the Sixers first Game 5 win in the second round of the playoffs in the Joel Embiid-era and it came with a full-team effort.
Contributions from Everybody
- Joel Embiid: 33 PTS | 7 REB | 3 AST
- Tyrese Maxey: 30 PTS | 7 REB | 6/12 3PT
- James Harden: 17 PTS | 8 REB | 10 AST
- Tobias Harris: 16 PTS | 11 REB | 7/10 FG
- Danuel House Jr: 10 PTS | 5 REB | 5/7 FG
The Sixers got out to an early lead in last night’s game and for once, didn’t really let it slip away. The Celtics went on a run here and there, but the Sixers played a full four quarters in a must-win game for the first time in recent memory.
Following last night’s win, Joel Embiid talked in detail about his crunch-time chase-down block on Jaylen Brown that literally sucked the life out of Boston fans in attendance.
@libertylinephl Joel Embiid talks chasedown block on Jaylen Brown that silenced the crowd at TD Garden during the Sixers demolition of the Boston Celtics in Game 5. #joelembiid #joelembiid21 #embiid #embiidmvp #emvpiid #sixers #76ers #76ersbasketball #76ersfans #sixersbasketball #sixersfans #sixersplayoffs #jaylenbrown #celtics #celticsnation #bostonceltics #philadelphia76ers #philly #philadelphia ♬ original sound – The Liberty Line
“I try to do the best job possible to try and interfere with what they want to do. Whenever I can block shots in the fourth quarter like that, you know if he makes that layup, they get some momentum, and they start believing. A play like that kind of drains the energy from the crowd.”
Joel Embiid’s impact on the offensive side of the court is already known, but everyone tends to forget how good of a defender and rim protector he is. The Celtics have been locked down in the paint since Jo’s return, settling with way more three-point attempts instead of driving to the lane like they did in Game 1.
The Sixers now head back to Philadelphia with a chance to go back to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001.
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